February 26, 2025 • 54 mins
In their first-ever live recording of Full Circle, Lexie Brown and Mariah Rose invite a whole crew of women to join them on stage at the National Museum of African American Music down in Nashville. Special guests include Taj Cole discussing growth in Athletes Unlimited, Vanderbilt's Khamil Pierre and Mikayla Blakes on their college journeys, and WNBA champs, Sydney Colson and Theresa Plaisance, on their camaraderie and larger impact on the league. Lexie and Mariah talk NIL deals, team dynamics, and the evolving landscape of women's basketball. Tune in next week to hear more basketball by the girls, for the girls.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Full Circle is an iheartwoman's sports production and partnership with
Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
What's up, y'all, Hi guys, Welcome to our first live
(00:21):
recording of Full Circle. Yes, we're so excited to have
all of you here today and to get into some
basketball talk. But first little life update. Lexi, you had
a huge life altering situation in the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Actual want to check in a week later. How are
you feeling.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
You know, after the smoke cleared a little bit of
you know, the unexpectedness of getting traded, I realized that
I actually probably am in a much better situation for
my career at this point.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
So I'm really excited. And you know, have a facility now.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
I can't wait to use that some veteran teammates ready
to win a championship now. And you know, last time
I was on a team like that, we did end
up winning a championship. So I'm really excited to get
to work in Seattle. And yeah, I'm happy.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
As Lexi said in our last episode, when you're manifesting,
and you're praying for something, you.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Gotta be specific specific.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
And she asked for a practice facility, but she didn't
say where.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
So I didn't theywhere, But I got one, and that's
all that matters.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Amen.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
But first, I do want to give y'all like a
quick rundown of like what this podcast is. And it's
relatively new, and you know, we're still trying to find
our cadence and stuff. I can't thank you guys enough
for like pulling up, Like I was so nervous that
like it was just gonna be us sitting here on
this stage by ourselves, So like this means the world
to us. But what Full Circle is is obviously a
(01:48):
women's basketball show, but I also wanted to be a
place where people can come on here and be their
authentic selves and just show their connections and their ties
and their love to the game.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
And that does have to be a player.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
It can be a coach, it can be a fan,
somebody's mentor someone who's just involved in the game in
any way, shape or form. So we're obviously going to
give updates on everything women's basketball. I think it's going
to be a lot of fun doing this during the
WNBA season since there are no current w players who
have a podcast during the season, So I'm really excited
about that. But also I just wanted a place for
(02:23):
people to be like authentic. So that's like the perfect
way to segue into our first guest, Taja Cole, who
is an au og Uga Virginia Tech legend and graduate,
and she has, because of AU, become one of my
best friends in the world.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
So let's give it up for Taj Cale. Hey, Taja,
welcome to stage.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
What's up, y'all?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
You've been with AU since season one, like me, and
we had our little dynamic duo moment.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
I was a captain I think almost every week in
season one, and I dropped to Taj first every week,
so we you know, built a very strong friendship in
bond doing that. But you know, now we're in season four, Like,
what are some of like the biggest changes and improvements
that you've seen from season one to now?
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Just the growth I think in the league.
Speaker 6 (03:21):
You know, uh, first year, you expect things to be
kind of bumpy, you just starting a new business.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
But I didn't even feel that my first year.
Speaker 6 (03:29):
I thought it was the best thing that ever happened,
you know, but I think just the growth in uh,
the exposure, I would say, you know, we get a
chance to play on ESPN. Plus a lot of people
know about AU now. I was just telling him about
a kid that was like, hey, can I come to
your game?
Speaker 5 (03:48):
I just met him outside and he was following us
in here.
Speaker 6 (03:51):
I think just the stage that Athletes Unlimited is on
now and for us to be year one, you know, players,
I think that you know, played a big part in
it to see where it is now. It's like so
many people DM me AND's like hey, how can I
be a part of AU? Or like hey, y'all having
those trials again, Like so many people just want to
be a part of this, especially like the media team.
(04:13):
I have people with D and me like hey, can
I get credentials? How can I join the media team?
Or how can I work and be around AU? And
that just speaks volumes to just you know, the family
and the organization we have here.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
I think one of my favorite things about AU is
the fact that you guys have the power to draft
other players and things like that. Not to expose y'all,
but they're back in the green room being like, oh,
who's going to get drafted in this person.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Mind you, and neither one of us are captains, that
really doesn't matter what either one of us really think.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
But how do you think that impacts the level of
play the relationships bill at Au? You guys having that
power to kind of be where a GM's hat, a
coach's hat, all of those things.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Well, for me, it's fun because you really get to
learn the game from so many people's different points of view.
You like, one week you'll have a captain who's a
point guard so that she thinks the game a certain way.
Then you'll have a center as your captain and they
think the game completely different. So it's always fun to
see the different ways that people like to play the game,
how people draw up plays, how people like to run timeouts,
(05:18):
run their practices, Like it's so different for every single person.
And I was a captain during scrimmage week, which was fun,
but I was like, I don't want to I don't
know if I want to be a captain no more
because we just have such a talented group. So you know,
my heart goes out to these last week captains because
it's it's gonna be closed. So I mean I think
right now, Maddie and Odyssey their neck and neck at
(05:39):
one and two. But that three and four spot, like
there's like nine or ten players that can probably finish
in the top four.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
So we're really excited about that. Tash, have you been
a captain?
Speaker 5 (05:49):
I was a captain doing scrimmage week. I loved it.
Speaker 6 (05:52):
My team we went too and one. I want to
be a coach one day, so I love that. And
I'm a point guard, so I naturally care about everybody
that's on the court. I was in there drawing plays
and then as a captain, when it works, you like,
you know what I'm saying, Like you get hype about it.
So I liked it.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
I mean, I think it was cool.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
What kind of coach are you going to be? Like,
you want to be a coach, but what's on right now?
Speaker 7 (06:13):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (06:14):
So so as a coach, I know we've all had
in sports coaches when we were younger that impacted us
one way or another, good and bad. But what are
some things that you learned from your athletic background that
you want to take into coaching.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Just life lessons, you know.
Speaker 6 (06:28):
I think I like playing for players, coaches, coaches who
care about you. Coaches who want to see you grow
as a person is in as a player. So I
think that's what I try to use every day. I
want to be a college head coach assistant coach real soon,
you know, when I get in my thirties.
Speaker 8 (06:46):
You know, are you guys?
Speaker 6 (06:49):
I'm twenty seven, Like, I think the game is changing,
Like even from a you know, a business standpoint, it's
so many young people who get, you know, opportunities to
have and be put in positions as like you know,
top hair positions. So I think if I can do
it in my thirties, I think that'll be a great accomplishment.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Do you have like a dream school that you would
like to coach at?
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Not trying to take nobody's job right now, obviously, because
but if you.
Speaker 5 (07:15):
Could, like I like, I wouldn't say at school, but
I like the ACC.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I just recently learned from being around all these basketball
players that all the conferences have their own like reputations,
if you will, Like y'all said that the SEC was
a little rough, what are the reputations, I'm curious.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Well, now it's a little different because they're all like
mixed up. So you have like pack twelve teams in
the ACC now and you have Big twelve teams and
the SEC. So I would say, like when me and
Taja were in college, like the ACC was like the
fast and finesse finesse. Yeah, the SEC was the like
just really athletic, kind of bully chop off lane.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Big ten was like they.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
This is kind of red.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
But my coach said it.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I'm she said that Big ten players were corn corn
meal fed or corn fed corn fed women or something
like that.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
So that's what the Big Ten was.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Like.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
I don't know much about the PAC twelve because I
never played in.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
I would say FACT twelve was like softer basketball transition threes,
like more finesse, you know, like.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Like a less I don't know, I was gonna say
less athletic finesse. Screen screen, screen screen. We're seeing what
Stanford look like right now in the ACC. So it's
like it's it's it's it's so crazy that like leagues
have reputations like that. And I think that's also why
people love women's basketball, because it's not completely like that
(08:40):
in men's college basketball like it is for women's But
I think that's what I think that's why there's the
discrepancy and people like.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
No men's it's like good bad football basketball, not a
basketball school, basketball school.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
No facts.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
I think the one last thing I want to do
is give you your flowers because you have been just
such an amazing person to me.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
You've been an amazing human being.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
I love what you're doing with the young people, with
your coaching. So just yeah, guys, So to give y'all
some context of this, at the end of our episodes,
we give flowers. So every episode, whatever's going on in
women's basketball space, we'll give people flowers.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
So for our guests today, we are.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Giving them flowers. So tajha here, thank yous, love you. Thanks, Okay,
you guys ready for our next guest.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I know, I am.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
We got some some youngins coming into the building, Vanderbilt's finest.
I personally think they are the best one two punch
in the sec. Let's give a warm welcome to Camille
Pierre and michaeleb Blakes. Come on, girly pops. Yeah, welcome.
(10:07):
This is y'all's first podcast appearance. Huh yeah, yes, I'm honored.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
My favorite thing ever, is that, like today, we're getting
to see all different sides of women's basketball. It's like
we're getting to see with the off season in AU
and we're getting to see the young ens and we're
getting to see the w and it's like so special.
And I think that you guys are in such a
special era when it comes to women's sports. And I
(10:33):
just want to know, in this early portion of your career,
what has been the most exciting part about being a
college basketball player.
Speaker 9 (10:44):
Honestly, it's my second year. I feel like the best
boy has just been like traveling. I know, last year
we went to Italy, so like it's super cool. And
I'm from the West coast, so going to like different
cities over here in states, like that's been really fun
to me.
Speaker 10 (10:56):
Yeah, I'd agree with her the traveling part. And then
I mean to be able to play basketball and not
have to pay for school, and like my parents being
able to support me and come to games and just
sort of like give back to them.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Oh that's beautiful.
Speaker 8 (11:09):
Oh my god, I was not the sweet in college party.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
No, Okay, So I'm gonna ask you, Camille. So you're
in your second year, like you said, you know, looking
at your stats from last year to this year, you
doubled your output in every category pretty much, which is
very impressive for somebody young to do. So what like
what was your mindset in the off season and like
(11:35):
what did your like offseason look like coming into the
year two.
Speaker 9 (11:39):
So I went home back to Phoenix, and I spent
a lot of time in the gym, obviously, but I
worked out with a lot of former overseas players w
and then Arizona we do this thing called like pro Run,
so it's like top division athletes, overseas people, and we
just like play fives and it's like three times a week.
So I feel like that got me a lot better
on the court, but I feel like my growth was
(12:00):
more so like mentally, because my freshman year, I remember
our first SAC game, I played three minutes and like
that's not me, Like I'm not rocking with that.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
So I knew that I didn't want to have a
repeat in my last season.
Speaker 9 (12:11):
So this season was kind of personal, like I wanted
to come out and like show the world that I
am capable and I think I am like one of
the best in the country.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So and I think you are and you showing it.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Would you say that five on five is better than
like individual workouts because I talk I get into it
with people all the time about like just being in
the gym by yourselfs versus actually playing, Like would you
think that, like if you could pick, would you play
more than Like obviously being in the gym is important,
but like how much did you, like, how much growth
did you experience from being able to play five on five?
Speaker 9 (12:42):
I think honestly, you just have to play to get better,
like the contact, the moving, like I think that helps
a lot. But for someone like me who hasn't been
playing a long time, like I also need like that
just one on more workout stuff because it's only like
my fourth year play basketball, So.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Really, what what now career got to get into that?
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Sorry, if you look through the record books at Vandy,
it's colored with them, like the whole the whole thing
is them, so for you to have only when did
you start playing.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Like in high school?
Speaker 9 (13:11):
I didn't take it serious until my junior because I
played soccer like my whole life growing up. I was
on the national team, I had office in like seventh grade,
and then I played just the two three months of
AAU like my junior.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Summer, and that's when I got on my office.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
How are you able to translate your soccer skills into
basketball so quickly?
Speaker 3 (13:28):
I have no clue. I just wanted to what made
you like choose basketball?
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Though?
Speaker 9 (13:36):
So in Arizona side soccer and basketball at the same time,
so like soccer's year round. So I was able to
play soccer and then still try out for the high
school basketball team and they put me on varsity as
a freshman. But I mean I was bad and I
was just like a small, like long, lengthy kid, and
my high school team mutes were like, yeah, you need
to stick to soccer, like you're never going to be
anything in the basketball world, like, and that was bad.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
I just felt like I had to prove a point.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
So I was excited ship just a chip after chip
after chip on that shoulder.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I like that a pressure can either make you weaker
or it can make you into what you are.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
So that's impressive.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Yeah, let's clap it up for that. That's amazing.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
Hey, y'all, Finna keep clapping after we talk about what
Mikayla's been doing this.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Season, not to say, because Mikayla, you just broke the
single game scoring record for Division one freshman, as well
as the SEC single game scoring record for the second
time this season with fifty five points. How have you
been able to set the tone so early?
Speaker 10 (14:39):
I think just coming here, I just wanted to prove
it with my work ethic. I think being in the
gym this summer and then just taking a lot of
learning from my teammates, and then having an older brother
definitely helps too.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
So I want to talk about the second fifty point game.
Fifty five right, I'm pretty sure I read that you
had thirty points in the fourth quarter, so scoring twenty
five points from I think it was like maybe like
four minutes left in the fourth quarter in the overtime,
what were you thinking about in that moment?
Speaker 10 (15:13):
Just do anything I can so that we win, because
we had just came off a loss in double overtime,
and I feel like I didn't play my best in
that game and I didn't really get that chance to
prove myself in those moments. But then I said, when
it comes to overtime this game, like I'm going to
prove myself and prove to my teammates I'm trustworthy and
they can rely on me.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
That's amazing. So like outside of your play.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
I came in to Maryland as a freshman and I
had four seniors with me starting, so it took me
some time to gain their trust. And I had to
like do like a little bit extra like outside of
basketball to prove to them like I was mature enough
I could handle it. Like what are some of the
ways that you've been like showing your older teammates that,
like you can be trustworthy, that you can be someone
(15:55):
that they can be on the court with.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (15:57):
I think like in high school I had the same thing.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
I think the whole well, it.
Speaker 10 (16:00):
Was supposed to be five seniors starting, but then the
coach put me in the lineup in high school as
a freshman, so and my teammates embraced me there, and
I just learned like you really have to prove yourself,
like nothing's going to be given to you.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
You're still a freshman. You have no experience.
Speaker 10 (16:12):
They have all the experience, So you just kind of
have to, like I said before, the work ethic and
just prove to them like I'm really dedicated to the
game and I love it and I'm gonna do anything
to be the best teammate and do whatever this team needs.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
I feel like there's I'll just say it, there's a
little bit of a narrative about I was about to
say your generation, but y'all literally like my age, this
generation of athletes and basketball players and college athletes with
nil and everything like that.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Y'all know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
I feel like people view the newer generation of athletes
as softer in some way than the previous generation. But
listening to you guys talk, you have that grit and
like that dog mentality, and I'm curious where that comes from.
Speaker 9 (16:54):
I think for me, it's just always been like being
underrated and just like not being talked about even to
this day. So it's just like remind myself that I've
achieved so much, but I have so much more that
I want to and that there's such a long way
to go.
Speaker 10 (17:06):
Yeah, I just have to agree with her on that one.
I think that both of us are still underrated. Nobody
talks about us, but we are.
Speaker 11 (17:12):
Yeah, you guys are.
Speaker 10 (17:16):
I feel like we're both, like, as you said, one
of the best duos in the country, and we just
both have something to prove because they're going to keep
talking about the same people until you prove them wrong.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
In those games.
Speaker 10 (17:25):
So that's what we're going to keep doing.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
I mean, I know we were talking in the back
like y'all's season hasn't really gone how y'all would have
liked it to be. But you know, you still have
two more conference games, right, like you said, then you
have the tournament. Like, what are y'all's expectations for this
team and how far, like do you guys think y'all
can take this team?
Speaker 10 (17:44):
I think we need to have a turning point in
these coming games, and I think in the SEC tournament
we can go far, and the NCAA Tournament we can
go far. I think that's what we both wanted when
we came here and definitely why I picked Vanderbilt, and
I feel like we can do it as a team
at least make it to the round of thirty two
sweet sixteen.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
So yeah, so much of the tournament is about like
your matchups, and I feel like like there's not two
players on many teams that can keep up with y'all.
So I haven't rooting for y'all since the beginning, and
I'm just like really excited that you guys are getting
a little bit of recognition.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
I agree with y'all.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Y'all are not getting nearly the recognition that y'all deserve,
but that's what we're here for to help with that.
I do wanted to ask, you know more, a little
bit about the NIO. We won't get into like numbers
or anything like that, but we were also talking in
the back about like dream dream partnerships and stuff. So
if you could have like one or two brands or
companies like you could work with while you were in
(18:42):
college or even as a pro, like, what would they be.
Speaker 9 (18:45):
I would do Mercedes give me a little g wagon
period probably like Louis Vuitton, like something.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
She woos over there.
Speaker 10 (18:55):
I'd have to go BMW for my car, and then
I don't know that. I'd probably do something like more
on the grilly side, with like fashion and stuff.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
You were talking about learning from pros players overseas. What
are some players male or female that you guys feel
like you look up to or that your game is
similar to anything like that.
Speaker 9 (19:16):
I feel like me I probably just started watching the
league like last year, so I would say, like Rakia Jackson,
I feel like our games model each other and she's
like our same kind of build and like we'll play
on SEC.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
I feel like we moved the same, so her for sure.
Speaker 10 (19:28):
Yeah, I'd probably go my brother probably, And then I've
just always looked at Maya more and just hearing about
her and hearing my coaches talk about her.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
So, now you guys are new WNBA fans viewers. Who
is y'all's favorite WNBA team to watch? If you watched enough,
If y'all haven't, y'all better start watching.
Speaker 9 (19:49):
Mine is the Sparks, But I'm from the West Coast
and like all the things.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Good thing this is only audio.
Speaker 10 (19:58):
Mine was probably I like the Liberty because I was
just close to home and I can go to the
Barclays anytime I wanted.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
So paggyback off of that question, if you could play
for any WNBA team, what team would it be?
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I'm going to Sparks. It's in LA, and like that's
just my vibe.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Let me stop.
Speaker 10 (20:16):
Now.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
LA is fun, like I loved playing in LA.
Speaker 10 (20:20):
So I feel you me, I don't know, maybe go
back to home, like somewhere around there in the Tri
State where people can come watch from the family.
Speaker 8 (20:27):
Y'all are La, New York?
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Like those are your favorite teams? Believaton g Wagon yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
Y'all Hollywood for real and y'all in Nashville, So I
can't imagine how y'all act if y'all actually got to
like an la or in New York, but y'all got
I mean, it's been really nice like hearing y'all because
I don't I haven't.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Really liked talk to y' all that much.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
Like this is our first like real conversation, and like
Mariah said, like a lot of us do think that
this younger group is soft and lacks discipline and all
these kind of things, and like y'all don't.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Y'all are the future and you deserve more of these
opportunities to get your stories out there for people to
hear that y'all's generation isn't what people are trying to
make it out to be. And so thank you so much.
I've enjoyed talking to you also, and.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
We would like to give you guys your flowers.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
All right, give it up for the Vandy girls. They're
so wise and mature.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Oh my gosh, I'm like, why am I getting nervous?
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Can I imagine myself on a podcast at eighteen or
nineteen years old?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
I'm glad that put it isn't out there.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
Our final guests up, they really don't need an intro,
but I'm gonna intro them anyway. We have some WNBA
champs faces of the league. You have Sidney Colson and
Teresa Plays. It's in the building, everybody. Hey, hi, guys,
(22:16):
I'm gonna say.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
I'm so honored we brought the baritones on the stage already.
Speaker 8 (22:25):
What's off limits for us to say? Nothing?
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Nothing?
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Absolutely nothing.
Speaker 8 (22:29):
Cool. Good to know. We're just trying to make sure
we didn't know what the rating was on this or whatever.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Whatever. Do y'all ever filter yourselves?
Speaker 8 (22:41):
Ever?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
No, I would never ask you to not be yourselves.
So just be yourselves.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Okay, Okay, you're right. Just youys can relax now, Okay,
sit and TP. First thing I want to ask you, guys,
because I've never asked all this before. It's like, how
did y'all get a TV show?
Speaker 12 (23:07):
I asked TP like a couple weeks after meeting her. Really,
I was like, Hey, would you ever want to do
something like in front of the camera? And we had
heard about one another in the league, but never like
we're in the same space. We just heard that was
the other funny person with one of the other funny
people in the league.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
So there was a little bit on.
Speaker 12 (23:30):
W It's just like when we have like mutual friends
that we have, They're like, look, we've got a lot
of teammates, like this person is like one of my
funniest teammates I've ever had, And I would hear her
name a lot and I'm just like, who is this bitch?
I'm like, like, what kind of funny? So we had
to like experience one another. But I was supposed to
be doing something with together. I was gonna do like
a six episode podcast or something, just talking about my
(23:55):
experience in the W like being in and out the league,
how to stay in the league, me wanting to become
an actor, doing stand up stuff like that. So just
like my whole experience. And once I'm at TP, I
told my agent. I was like, hey, I think we
need to go back to them and tell them that,
like I need to do something with TP.
Speaker 8 (24:11):
It needs to be in front of the camera.
Speaker 7 (24:15):
Week meeting me like I could have been a serial killer.
Speaker 8 (24:20):
This would have been worth it anyway.
Speaker 13 (24:22):
The way that she brought it up to me was, Hey,
would you ever do something on TV?
Speaker 7 (24:27):
And that was absolutely not.
Speaker 12 (24:30):
Right. So I just spent like weeks trying to convince
her throughout the round you want to do it the
entire season, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Trying to convince her as of what like are you
asking me every day?
Speaker 12 (24:41):
Like or just like whenever she said something really funny,
I'm like, girl, that was good, that would be good
on TV.
Speaker 8 (24:48):
But it took a while.
Speaker 12 (24:49):
But once we pitched it to them, then they had
us like meet with somebody that they were trying to
hire to be the showrunner of the show. And actually Carly,
our director. You met Carly you were on the show.
Carly came up with the log line of like two
w NBA players driving to be the face of the league,
despite the fact that nobody asked them to, And once
Carli pitched that to us on the call, we were
(25:11):
like absolutely and from yeah it was.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
It really was, honestly, I really and I had only
known both of you from a distance. I remember watching
I watched Sydney in the National Championship game and I'm like,
she's a dog. You still are a dog, but now
you're a funny dog. I had no idea like this
was your personality, Like watching you play like you would
(25:36):
have no idea.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
I'm like, she's kind of scary and I love her
not at.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
All, but like getting to know you, I'm like, I
would have never thought like this was your personality. I
know how old I was that twenty elevenphomore.
Speaker 8 (26:02):
I think, Yeah, it.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Was you against Notre Dame.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
Yeah, that was like one of the most elite final
fours I think I've ever watched in my life.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
But I remember I'd be like, were you always the
funny one on your teams? Or when you were younger,
and like trying to get it was like, Okay, ain't
shit funny?
Speaker 8 (26:18):
Or like were you always me both either one of you?
Speaker 13 (26:22):
Yeah, I've always been the team jokes for even taking
it to like full blown high school. I was voted
class clown after being at that high school for only
two years. Yeah, so I get pretty acclimated easily, and
my jokes would start flowing after I guess a few minutes.
Speaker 8 (26:45):
Like immediately. Yeah. I mean always had like.
Speaker 12 (26:51):
Probably like one teammate that that was always like we
both would just like go at it or like had
the same like same humor, but yeah, pretty much always
like the jokes to the clown.
Speaker 8 (27:02):
I was class down in high school too.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
So y'all are the ones y'all out, yeah, we were
both nobody wants to make eye contact with y'all and
coach shoo and y'all out, no, not at all.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Which is crazy now because now even in those moments,
they get them on camera and of y'all and post them. Yeah,
but y'all are doing something that y'all should not be doing,
like on the bench or in a huddle, there's a
camera right on you every time, and they just post.
Speaker 12 (27:26):
Yeah, we used to get away with it more like
social media and like the w getting more attention has
brought more to it.
Speaker 8 (27:32):
But like we've both been doing this since since my
rookie year, easily my rookie year, so it just gets
more attentions. Be the same.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
Y'all could probably have like a highlight reel of like
your basketball highlights, and then like a blooper reel of just.
Speaker 12 (27:47):
I think the highlight reel would be the the comedy.
Speaker 8 (27:51):
The basketball one would be pretty short, but sure.
Speaker 13 (27:57):
Of the game down thirty throws in there. But our
bloopers were countless throughout the season. I mean, starting from
my rookie year, I did not play. I literally didn't.
I remember, like towards the end of my rookie year.
This is actually hilarious. Towards the end of my rookie year.
Speaker 8 (28:14):
We'll tell you, you know what it is.
Speaker 7 (28:16):
I want to tell you guys, this is funny.
Speaker 13 (28:18):
One of the owners of our franchise came up to
me in this one specific game and he said, oh,
we thought you were actually gonna get to score today.
Speaker 7 (28:28):
Yeah, And I was like, I gotta shut off this.
Speaker 13 (28:35):
Next time. I did end up shooting humbly four for
four from the free throw line my rookie year because
what suck me on the team. I'm pretty sure my
personality and me just willing to do extra cardio with
anyone who needed it.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
So that's a great teammate though, because you were Because
that's the thing that people don't understand because like we
all kind of have very similar experiences in the w
you know, getting being the best, one of the best
in college, getting to the league, and you're like quickly
humbled like, oh you're actually not that good, but like
you can try, you can be here. But you guys
(29:14):
like took the route to like just beat great teammates
but still have like very long successful careers.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Y'all want a championship.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
So when y'all finally like were re like united in Vegas, Like,
what was that experience like for y'all?
Speaker 7 (29:28):
Honest are great? Like I really didn't know.
Speaker 13 (29:31):
I was showing up to Vegas not really knowing anybody,
Like I knew people from a distance, but I wasn't
I didn't have any friends on the team. So I'm
showing up to Vegas like not really knowing.
Speaker 7 (29:42):
What to expect, and then lo and behold this.
Speaker 13 (29:46):
Yeah, was just sitting in the locker room and just
hit it off from day one. I came in Lake
because I was playing in Spain, so I showed up
with like three days left of training camp. So when
I showed up, immediately hit it off. Spent every waking
minute together, I feel like, just talking.
Speaker 12 (30:02):
Okay, were not submitting every waking pretty much.
Speaker 7 (30:09):
We were like, hey, what are you doing? After you
you invited me?
Speaker 14 (30:13):
Details, details, keep going okay, So we didn't after practice
go lift weights together, and then after that go the
cool tap together, and then after that separate for dinner,
but then reconvene later that evening.
Speaker 7 (30:26):
To watch the NBA Playoffs. The pool side together.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Pool side true, pool side true?
Speaker 8 (30:32):
True?
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Wait were we still? Were we still sharing RUMs at
this time?
Speaker 11 (30:37):
No, No, our apartment so like we could have just called.
Speaker 12 (30:42):
But we're the time that once we find like somebody funny,
like Okay, I'm gonna keep hanging out with you then
cuz I wanna laugh if I'm gonna get cut, I
need to have a good time before I'm gonna have
a good time.
Speaker 8 (30:53):
Before I didn't so good time.
Speaker 12 (30:55):
This girl was bringing the laughs and a good time.
But no, we were really just like we we just
hit it off. We were like insps. Just when you
like find a friend you feel like you've known for
a long time, or anybody you're like, damn, I feel
like I have known you.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
Yeah, but that's important And sport, it's like you said,
you showed up and you didn't know anybody, and then
you met and you had that camaraderie and you had
somebody Like people don't realize it's like showing up to
work and not knowing any of your coworkers.
Speaker 8 (31:19):
But you gotta work together.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
So that's why you need people who are like fun
and funny and cool and like we'll make everybody talk
because not everybody's showing up like that.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
Yeah, you really need one. You just need like one
little buddy, like just one.
Speaker 13 (31:35):
That dinner body on the road where you're like, hey,
we're going to eat tonight. Yeah you're in like yeah
smoking that again, You're like what Mohican rush.
Speaker 7 (31:44):
Eating that tonight?
Speaker 12 (31:45):
You know, if you have somebody that you know is
gonna have your back end stuff, If y'all are both new,
you feel like a little more confident going into a
new situation because like a right, at least got this
one person and if stuff isn't going well or whatever,
like you got somebody to talk to, you can kind
of get over it faster. I think it's just like
it just makes the environment much easier. And we all
were new to that space obviously, the entire team and
(32:06):
stuff pretty much was new to one another.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Yeah, and I'll say like.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
Bias because I love y'all and we've grown very close
since playing in AU like that like re emergence of
the Aces as like the powerhouse it became, and like
how y'all just captured like the entire WBA fan base
with like y'all's energy and y'all style of play, Like
I think y'all fueled that kind of like I remember
(32:33):
just seeing the content and stuff that they were putting
out and it was like always y'all, And I think
that like that was such an underrated part of the
championship run, was having people like you on the team.
And like I was kind of that in Chicago. I'm
not as fun, but like I was like the same y'all.
Speaker 8 (32:53):
Y'all had a good group like I would.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
I remember there'd be moments where everyone was like kind
of just looking around and they like look at me,
like do some funny.
Speaker 8 (33:03):
Say so stupid? Yeah.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
So, like even like when we made it to the finals,
I said, Candice, we make it to the finals, can
you make a TikTok with us?
Speaker 3 (33:13):
And she's like yeah, sure, Like we're at sixth place.
Speaker 5 (33:15):
She probably was like.
Speaker 8 (33:16):
We're not making it to the finals.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
We made it. That was the first thing I asked her.
Speaker 8 (33:20):
We got the locker room.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
One, okay, walked right into that locker room time and
she did it.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
Yeah, it was at that and then when everybody like
dance like dances out, so it was just like the
back of her head. She was like it was like
ten percent effort, but at least she did it.
Speaker 8 (33:41):
Well, good for you, I know, can is to be
a real liar, please just spread.
Speaker 7 (33:47):
Let's let's take into that.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Is it hard for you all to get your teammates
to do that stuff, like to participate in the TikTok
challenges and the jokes and whatnot?
Speaker 4 (33:57):
Not?
Speaker 8 (33:57):
Really I was literally about to say, we don't for.
Speaker 13 (34:06):
We don't force it upon them, but like, okay, I'm
gonna speak about what I've seen from Sydney. Okay, so
Cidney does this thing that's like we're talking about clouds
in the sky, and then Sidney always is like, well
what if? Okay, Whenever Sidney says what if there was?
At minimum?
Speaker 11 (34:22):
And I roll from Chelsea, gret A grunts from Asia,
three people turning around into their locker spaces like this,
but I'm tuning in.
Speaker 8 (34:34):
I'm like, what what if?
Speaker 7 (34:36):
What?
Speaker 11 (34:37):
Please us?
Speaker 7 (34:38):
But everybody was dying to know what they was about
to say. Therefore they wanted to participate.
Speaker 8 (34:44):
They wanted in that like they didn't.
Speaker 12 (34:45):
Chelsea would roll their odds and stuff and be like,
here you go again, but what tell me?
Speaker 8 (34:50):
What?
Speaker 7 (34:50):
What?
Speaker 2 (34:51):
What say?
Speaker 12 (34:52):
You want to know so bad? Like stop acting like
you don't like us. So it was just like a
like we got we get just get cool with people.
I think just by honestlyky or like showing some sort
of like like interest in everybody on the team for
whatever it is that they have going, whether it's the
(35:13):
most important player on the team, like like the MVP
or the point guard, or it's the last person which
happens to be honest, maybe maybe not twelve, but like
Tim on the bench, like we're gonna find out something.
Speaker 13 (35:29):
It was really easy to work up the ladder because
we were cool from the start. Twelve we're good.
Speaker 12 (35:37):
But I'm saying, like I think when you are like
genuinely interested in who your teammates are and like you
try to find out what they like, like you hang
out with them off the court, I think people like
normally people are just gonna slowly like open up a
little bit. And so it's never like us propping up
a camera and like begging them to come.
Speaker 8 (35:56):
It's like if we said everybody to do that what
you're about to do, and then you know, it's just
like more.
Speaker 4 (35:59):
Even when y'all we filmed y'all's episode when we had
a whole production crew in camera.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
It did not even feel like that.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
We had like lines and everything, and there was actors
in there, and it just felt like we.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Were just hanging out, but we were making a show.
Speaker 13 (36:14):
You loved talking trash like Lexi took her job very seriously, right.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Mind you, I don't talk trash at all in games
in real life. That's why the episode was so funny
because I don't say doesn't say SI and TV show
is like it was like a scripted not scripted show.
So they had asked me and Jordan Canada to be
in one of their episodes and the premise of the
episode was trash talking and drag queens were teaching them
(36:43):
how to trash talk.
Speaker 11 (36:45):
So we.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
So we played Me and Jordan played two on two
again sit in TP, and it was just like trash like.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
It was almost unseerious.
Speaker 8 (36:54):
You want to.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
I don't like like, I don't like shoes like TP.
I am about about shoes like our makeup was done like,
but it was so funny.
Speaker 7 (37:05):
Your makeup's not done for games though, that was normal.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
You're right, right, all right, not professionally done. If I
could get my makeup professionally done for games, I probably
would it will be.
Speaker 8 (37:15):
I would never because whom when I now?
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Oh, I got a question, what's y'all's favorite opposing arena
to play in?
Speaker 8 (37:32):
M I liked Madison Square Garden a lot. Oh yeah,
what was a mystery?
Speaker 7 (37:38):
Honestly?
Speaker 13 (37:38):
Like Connecticut, I feel like it's a really good shooters gym,
Like the backdrop is great.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
Oh no, nothing month, so you'd be in three?
Speaker 8 (37:46):
I like New York. I think in La.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
You know what's crazy about that question now? And I'm
thinking about it.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
When I was on a team, my favorite gym to
play in was the team I like then got traded to.
So when I was in Connecticut, I was like, oh
my god, I love playing in Target Center, Boom Minnesota.
Speaker 8 (38:08):
Mines Manifest where you want to go.
Speaker 4 (38:10):
My favorite gym plane was is Seattle, and it's gonna
be in Seattle forever.
Speaker 9 (38:14):
I know.
Speaker 8 (38:15):
That's what No.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
Lanta was.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
It was Staples, which I still love playing in Staples
Earth Crypto.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
Sorry, but No.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
Seattle's gym is fun to playing because their environment is crazy.
I hate playing in Vegas. Y'all fans are hostile.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Like that's kind of a good thing.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
It's a good thing.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
But like No y'all's fans are amazing, but it's hard
to play in Vegas.
Speaker 13 (38:40):
It's hard to play in Vegas and in Phoenix because
the second you step off that airplane, all the moisture
gets sucked out of your skin and you have dry
mouth and you have just like dry hands. And one
day is it enough to acclimate your body to the climate? Yea,
(39:00):
because when you're in Vegas, like when you're there for
the season, you don't feel that, but when you're in.
Speaker 7 (39:05):
And out you feel it.
Speaker 8 (39:07):
It's much more aggressive.
Speaker 7 (39:08):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
How was your first year in Vegas as a new team,
because I remember that was my rookie year and I
remember everybody had Vegas circled because everyone was so excited
to go there. And now everyone's like, it's like Mohigan now,
like going to Vegas like going to Mandolin.
Speaker 8 (39:23):
How was it from one perspective.
Speaker 4 (39:25):
From like being like in the new team.
Speaker 8 (39:30):
I liked it.
Speaker 12 (39:31):
It was the management and everything, Like you could just
tell that it just seemed like a different vibe around
the team, like an energy around the organization. I think
all the players felt that, and I think having coaches
from the NBA and stuff coming in it just felt
like it was gonna be something different than what the
league had scene, which I mean it was for a
(39:53):
little while the offense that was ran and everything. Everybody
started running that stuff now, so it's like gonna come
with something else.
Speaker 8 (40:01):
But it was cool when it was new. It was
like it.
Speaker 12 (40:04):
Was greaty because it was hard to the stuff was
hard to guard, and we happened to have the right
people in place to be running for No.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
I do think I'm giving I'm giving y'all all these
dayn compliments like y'all are my oppression. This is really hard,
like the other of us are there. But like while
that was going on, I'm like I remember watching y'all
like just get the acest organizations, just get better every year,
and I'm like they really set in the tone and
the table for what the wn BA needs to look
(40:32):
like and what it needs to do. So the fact
that y'all were able to win two championships playing the
way y'all play, with the personnel y'all have, with the
resources you have, like people like obviously there's other teams
that are like, oh, we wish we had that, and
they like gon be shady about it, Like I'm like,
thank you Vegas.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
Thank you New York. That'sk you everybody.
Speaker 12 (40:52):
When I was on teams that were like not doing well,
like when I was in San Antonio, when I heard
about other teams like getting things like whatever you hear
about the people are doing stuff under the table, if
somebody's flying charter, I was never mad at those people
doing it. Sometimes the envelope and a boundary needs to
be pushed because the league's not making it happen. So
you need owners who are actually interested in doing for
(41:16):
their team what should be done at a professional level. Anyways,
It's like if everybody just starts breaking the rule, they
don't have to adjust the rule, right, you have to
because it doesn't make sense anyway what we were doing, like.
Speaker 13 (41:26):
Like they shouldn't be the outlier, they should be the standard. Yeah,
and come to twenty twenty five. Now we're seeing all
these practice stilities going up. We're seeing like training tables
for players to be able to eat before and after practice,
Like all these things are necessities for guys. But like
you look at the women's game and you just like,
so y'all.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
Asking for too much food?
Speaker 13 (41:45):
Right?
Speaker 3 (41:46):
Right? Three hour practice?
Speaker 7 (41:48):
Right?
Speaker 8 (41:49):
Necessity for life?
Speaker 3 (41:50):
Well, I said this to you.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
You had that in college, so it's not necessarily like what, Oh,
it's a necessity for the guys, but it's not for y'all.
It's like, no, that's what I'm used to, Like, that's
the standard that I was, So why am I a
professional now and I'm not being held to that standard?
It doesn't make any sense.
Speaker 4 (42:05):
I remember when they when we caught wind of the
Liberty with their charter flights and they were trying to
like divide and conquer the league. But we were all
kind of like, good for them, right, that's something we
were like, good for New York, like that they.
Speaker 13 (42:19):
Got to New Jersey before in my life. But I
was like, I'm like, you go here was where'd they go?
Speaker 7 (42:25):
Like? They were like going to the Bahamas.
Speaker 11 (42:28):
They're taking training game at the Bahamas.
Speaker 1 (42:30):
We're like, but that's a common misconception, probably because it's women,
but that everybody thinks that when one team is doing well,
or one person is doing well, or they're new people
getting a certain level of attention or whatever, that there's
this jealousy and cattiness and anger and everybody's talking shit.
And but I would like y'all to speak to the
(42:53):
fact that that is not true and that that doesn't exist,
because being around y'all, I know it doesn't exist. I'm
trying to tell people on TikTok that doesn't exist. But
Joe Shmoe from Alabama's like, nah.
Speaker 12 (43:04):
Other, yeah, no, I'm not gonna discount what you're saying.
It is true on a level, there is, but it's
just like with normal people, you might say something that
is like envious of somebody's situation or like I remember,
you can think at times where we've been out the
league and you're watching a team and you're watching a
player and you're like, I bust this girl, Like I
(43:25):
make it very difficult for this girl to play basketball,
but like I can't get a contract. Things like that,
Like things like that are just said. Everybody has said
a jealous thing about somebody before, but it doesn't mean
that you're necessarily jealous of that person. It doesn't mean
that you don't want well for that person. So I
think that naturally is gonna happen. It happens in women's sports,
(43:46):
it happens in men's it happens in regular jobs.
Speaker 8 (43:49):
People call out what they see. Sometimes it's like.
Speaker 12 (43:53):
It may be some things may be unwarranted and not
completely factual, and maybe you are just emotional about a situation,
but some things are based in truth, and maybe it's
just not what people want to hear at the time.
But I think for the most part, yeah, like those
of us in this league, especially the way that it's
been for me since I've been a rookie, Like, people
for the most part want to see the league do well,
(44:14):
and people understand that when there are stars in the
league that are doing well and bringing eyes, that's good
for everybody. We have a pretty good idea of one
person or two people or whatever stars doing well helps
our entire league.
Speaker 8 (44:28):
I don't think that that's like no crazy to say.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
I mean, it happens in all sports leagues. I just don't.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
It's just weird that when it comes to our league,
people like like look at it kind of like well there,
if these handful of players are doing well, then everybody
else is mad. But like we're seeing right now in
the NBA, like everyone's trying to search far and wiy
for the new face at an NBA, Like it happens everywhere,
(44:55):
And like me and Mariah say all the time, like
the league doesn't need a singular face, like I think
leagues will do better if there's like multiple faces, including
sit in TP like I've I think y'all have been
like incredible for the w n B A, And I
do want to pivot like to a little bit of AU,
(45:16):
like what has AU meant to you guys in your career?
And I think I mean you can kind of thank
AU for y'all's friendship kind of because I would have
been looked at by the Aces if she hooping AU
and they wouldn't have met. So let's clap it up
for AU always. So yeah, like what is y'all's like
(45:40):
experience been like in PC members now?
Speaker 7 (45:44):
So like you know how hard I thought to be
on the BC?
Speaker 3 (45:47):
She did? God do we have her?
Speaker 4 (45:50):
We have her interview on like record TV came in
like she was running for president.
Speaker 8 (45:55):
She came in, So I wanted to spot so bad.
Speaker 4 (45:58):
I was like, even though you were the only one,
We're like.
Speaker 13 (46:03):
I already had a job, You're idoy presentation, I'm just
gonna get did it.
Speaker 7 (46:08):
But I wanted to nobody. He's been absolutely incredible.
Speaker 13 (46:12):
Like I think that once you're in it, once you
see it from the outside and it looks like fun,
and you don't, like you're hesitant to believe that, like
that kind of fun's actually happening, right, And when you
show up, you're like, oh my god, this is so
much fun.
Speaker 7 (46:26):
Like I'm meeting so many.
Speaker 13 (46:28):
Really cool people on like multiple levels, because you know,
a bunch of us do something outside of just basketball, right,
so like the out of balance meetings that we have
to like just get to know people on a deeper
level and understand people's whys and and just like mingle
and like meet strangers that you've never met before. But
(46:48):
also we'll be blaying on a team with them, Like
we have a forty person roster, and I felt closer
to a lot of these women on a forty person
roster than I have a twelve person roster sometimes, Like
and it's the environment, it's like the acceptedness. It's like
just the way that we go about our business here
that just feels like family. So that's what AU has
(47:09):
done for me. Also, have had a really incredible roommate
for the past.
Speaker 7 (47:14):
Seasons, said Sid.
Speaker 8 (47:17):
I think they got that.
Speaker 7 (47:19):
It would have been LEI. No.
Speaker 4 (47:23):
Actually this year, no, no roommate for me.
Speaker 8 (47:26):
Get it.
Speaker 12 (47:27):
Yeah, you and Bick I'm back, and Lydia he cans, Hey,
Caitlin got some players here. But yeah, for me, yeah,
like you said, I was out of the league in
twenty one, and so Tosh Cloud when she brought this
(47:47):
to like four or five of us other w players,
like just saying, look, the co founders John and Jonathan
are looking to start a basketball league, like make it
the fourth sport, and we need to put to other
a PC or we really need to reach out to
see how many players are actually would actually be interested
in this, and there are a lot of people interested
in Some people, you know, still ended up taking overseas jobs.
(48:10):
I think it was, you know, that uncertainty for some
people of like is this real, This like seems too
good to be true, even though there was like already.
Speaker 8 (48:18):
A model with other sports, it was still.
Speaker 12 (48:21):
In contracts, but it was like, yeah, but we've never
seen this though, And for me, I was like, I'm
I'm a risk taker anyways, Like I don't mind, Like
I like innovation. I like, you know, like something that
seems like it could be something in the future. Like
I'm like, okay, yeah, I want to get in on that.
Plus I just didn't have anything to lose. I was
out of the league, and it was like I still
(48:42):
want to play. I feel capable still and can still
make money. So I was like, yeah, I'll go do
this for six weeks in Vegas, Like that's a good time,
And so I went and Nicki and Becky were at
one of the games.
Speaker 8 (48:56):
I got a training camp contract.
Speaker 12 (48:58):
We won the next season, won the next season like
TP the first year.
Speaker 8 (49:02):
So it was like, really AU.
Speaker 12 (49:03):
I always give credit that AU change the trajectory of
my career, both on and off.
Speaker 8 (49:09):
The court, and sons.
Speaker 4 (49:11):
That a lot of players feel that way about AU,
and I think that's what makes it so special one
through forty, Like every time I come to AU, like
I just feel re energized when I leave. And I
think that's been like the biggest difference between my WNBA
career pre AU and current and post AU is like
I just have this new found energy and I have
(49:35):
new friends and like more friends in the league.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
Like and I was talking to Mariah because when going.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
Back to that, when people are like, oh, you guys
all hate each other, don't like each other, No, we
just don't ever be around each other in the offseason.
That's what I was going to say, known each other
as competitors, more teammates, and never liked just as like
human beings like existing and exploring like other things that
you like to do.
Speaker 3 (49:59):
So I I think, like, yes.
Speaker 4 (50:01):
We have like other leagues now, but like I really
think that like AU like set the tone for what
women's basketball in the US should be. And that's like
being around each other more than just training camp to
end a season and then you're like, Okay, see you
next year.
Speaker 12 (50:16):
And to make it a more like like really like
women's basketball pro pro basketball, like really more of a family.
And yeah, and people like I know since the first year,
like you were obviously about to be on the PC
the first year, but like we set out from the
very beginning to like make sure that we weren't having
(50:37):
a league full of W players. Yeah, Like it was
important for us to have people who were you know,
you might be overseas for like that have been overseas.
How many years had you played overseas before playing AU?
Speaker 8 (50:48):
Twelve years?
Speaker 9 (50:50):
Wow?
Speaker 7 (50:50):
You know.
Speaker 12 (50:51):
And we've had several players who have come through and
you just maybe you've been in a W training camp
and never made it. Maybe you never got a shot
at a training camp. But we're giving people a chance
to play in front of their families in the States
before you injure career. I mean, you end up playing
in front of the w U, NBA gms and coaches.
So it ends up being a really good environment for
(51:11):
us to get to know even more players than just who.
Speaker 8 (51:14):
We play with on w teams.
Speaker 12 (51:16):
And maybe if we end up on teams with people
overseas or maybe not on the same team, but when
you go to their city, I don't even know you, girl,
but you another black woman on the team.
Speaker 8 (51:25):
In Polish songs the game girl, what's up? Yeah.
Speaker 12 (51:34):
So it's been good to have this environment here for
us to be together. I mean it's five weeks now,
used to be six. But I think it really creates,
like you said, that that fun, that sisterhood for basketball,
Like it's reinvigorating for some people. And you know, hopefully
like we have young players that experience it and they
enjoy it, they feel like they got something from it,
(51:54):
and they continue to come back or tell people about it.
Speaker 1 (51:57):
Well, I will say you taking that leap and taking
a risk, say with au you too, Lexi. It's like
now the next generation of Hooper's coming into the w
are gonna have so much of a different experience than
y'all did because you were able to take that risk
and because you opened up the opportunity and showed the
proof of concept. So with that being sad, flowers flowers.
Speaker 3 (52:20):
We always give.
Speaker 1 (52:21):
Flowers at the end of every show, so we have
physical shower flowers for you guys.
Speaker 8 (52:25):
Thank you, appreciate it. Thanks guys, people get them, so
we were like, we better get something.
Speaker 4 (52:33):
I almost didn't even get you on any.
Speaker 3 (52:36):
We appreciate it, of course, Thank you guys.
Speaker 7 (52:39):
Thank you.
Speaker 8 (52:39):
Do we walk off now, I think show.
Speaker 4 (52:41):
You said if you want, We're about to wrap it up.
Thank you guys for coming to our first live episode
of Full Circle podcast. Wasn't as bad as I thought
it was gonna be.
Speaker 13 (52:55):
Out we didn't go we actually we have flowers for
you guys.
Speaker 8 (53:05):
No, seriously, thank y'all so much for coming.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
Like the things we were talking about today, for example,
the narrative about cattiness or jealousy or blah blah blah,
I feel like part of the reason that that comes
about is because a lot of the people covering women's
basketball aren't actual fans of the game or actually students
of the game, and so having people who will actually
have that experience, who have more to talk about than
just who hates this person or who likes this person
(53:28):
or who's the face or whatever, like all of that
stupid stuff. Like talking about actual basketball and stories that
matter is why we're doing this.
Speaker 4 (53:36):
So proud of you, Lexi, thank you, Thank you guys again.
Oh my goodness, my heart is very full. So thank
you guys so much.
Speaker 1 (53:46):
Thanks for listening to Full Circle. We'll be back next
week with more basketball for the girls, by the girls.
We want to hear from you. Leave us a review
on Apple Podcasts and tell us what you want us
to talk about. Full Circle is hosted by Lexi Brown
and Mariro. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Our supervising
producer is Grace Fuz. Our producer is Zoe Dankla. Listen
(54:07):
to Full Circle on America's number one podcast network, iHeart,
Open your free iHeart app and search Full Circle with
Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose and start listening
Full Circle is an iheartwoman's sports production and partnership with
Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
What's up, y'all, Hi guys, Welcome to our first live
(00:21):
recording of Full Circle. Yes, we're so excited to have
all of you here today and to get into some
basketball talk. But first little life update. Lexi, you had
a huge life altering situation in the last couple of weeks.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Actual want to check in a week later. How are
you feeling.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
I'm excited.
Speaker 4 (00:41):
You know, after the smoke cleared a little bit of
you know, the unexpectedness of getting traded, I realized that
I actually probably am in a much better situation for
my career at this point.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
So I'm really excited. And you know, have a facility now.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
I can't wait to use that some veteran teammates ready
to win a championship now. And you know, last time
I was on a team like that, we did end
up winning a championship. So I'm really excited to get
to work in Seattle. And yeah, I'm happy.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
As Lexi said in our last episode, when you're manifesting,
and you're praying for something, you.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Gotta be specific specific.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
And she asked for a practice facility, but she didn't
say where.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
So I didn't theywhere, But I got one, and that's
all that matters.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Amen.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
But first, I do want to give y'all like a
quick rundown of like what this podcast is. And it's
relatively new, and you know, we're still trying to find
our cadence and stuff. I can't thank you guys enough
for like pulling up, Like I was so nervous that
like it was just gonna be us sitting here on
this stage by ourselves, So like this means the world
to us. But what Full Circle is is obviously a
(01:48):
women's basketball show, but I also wanted to be a
place where people can come on here and be their
authentic selves and just show their connections and their ties
and their love to the game.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
And that does have to be a player.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
It can be a coach, it can be a fan,
somebody's mentor someone who's just involved in the game in
any way, shape or form. So we're obviously going to
give updates on everything women's basketball. I think it's going
to be a lot of fun doing this during the
WNBA season since there are no current w players who
have a podcast during the season, So I'm really excited
about that. But also I just wanted a place for
(02:23):
people to be like authentic. So that's like the perfect
way to segue into our first guest, Taja Cole, who
is an au og Uga Virginia Tech legend and graduate,
and she has, because of AU, become one of my
best friends in the world.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
So let's give it up for Taj Cale. Hey, Taja,
welcome to stage.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
What's up, y'all?
Speaker 3 (02:53):
You've been with AU since season one, like me, and
we had our little dynamic duo moment.
Speaker 4 (03:00):
I was a captain I think almost every week in
season one, and I dropped to Taj first every week,
so we you know, built a very strong friendship in
bond doing that. But you know, now we're in season four, Like,
what are some of like the biggest changes and improvements
that you've seen from season one to now?
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Just the growth I think in the league.
Speaker 6 (03:21):
You know, uh, first year, you expect things to be
kind of bumpy, you just starting a new business.
Speaker 5 (03:27):
But I didn't even feel that my first year.
Speaker 6 (03:29):
I thought it was the best thing that ever happened,
you know, but I think just the growth in uh,
the exposure, I would say, you know, we get a
chance to play on ESPN. Plus a lot of people
know about AU now. I was just telling him about
a kid that was like, hey, can I come to
your game?
Speaker 5 (03:48):
I just met him outside and he was following us
in here.
Speaker 6 (03:51):
I think just the stage that Athletes Unlimited is on
now and for us to be year one, you know, players,
I think that you know, played a big part in
it to see where it is now. It's like so
many people DM me AND's like hey, how can I
be a part of AU? Or like hey, y'all having
those trials again, Like so many people just want to
be a part of this, especially like the media team.
(04:13):
I have people with D and me like hey, can
I get credentials? How can I join the media team?
Or how can I work and be around AU? And
that just speaks volumes to just you know, the family
and the organization we have here.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
I think one of my favorite things about AU is
the fact that you guys have the power to draft
other players and things like that. Not to expose y'all,
but they're back in the green room being like, oh,
who's going to get drafted in this person.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Mind you, and neither one of us are captains, that
really doesn't matter what either one of us really think.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
But how do you think that impacts the level of
play the relationships bill at Au? You guys having that
power to kind of be where a GM's hat, a
coach's hat, all of those things.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Well, for me, it's fun because you really get to
learn the game from so many people's different points of view.
You like, one week you'll have a captain who's a
point guard so that she thinks the game a certain way.
Then you'll have a center as your captain and they
think the game completely different. So it's always fun to
see the different ways that people like to play the game,
how people draw up plays, how people like to run timeouts,
(05:18):
run their practices, Like it's so different for every single person.
And I was a captain during scrimmage week, which was fun,
but I was like, I don't want to I don't
know if I want to be a captain no more
because we just have such a talented group. So you know,
my heart goes out to these last week captains because
it's it's gonna be closed. So I mean I think
right now, Maddie and Odyssey their neck and neck at
(05:39):
one and two. But that three and four spot, like
there's like nine or ten players that can probably finish
in the top four.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
So we're really excited about that. Tash, have you been
a captain?
Speaker 5 (05:49):
I was a captain doing scrimmage week. I loved it.
Speaker 6 (05:52):
My team we went too and one. I want to
be a coach one day, so I love that. And
I'm a point guard, so I naturally care about everybody
that's on the court. I was in there drawing plays
and then as a captain, when it works, you like,
you know what I'm saying, Like you get hype about it.
So I liked it.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
I mean, I think it was cool.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
What kind of coach are you going to be? Like,
you want to be a coach, but what's on right now?
Speaker 7 (06:13):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (06:14):
So so as a coach, I know we've all had
in sports coaches when we were younger that impacted us
one way or another, good and bad. But what are
some things that you learned from your athletic background that
you want to take into coaching.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Just life lessons, you know.
Speaker 6 (06:28):
I think I like playing for players, coaches, coaches who
care about you. Coaches who want to see you grow
as a person is in as a player. So I
think that's what I try to use every day. I
want to be a college head coach assistant coach real soon,
you know, when I get in my thirties.
Speaker 8 (06:46):
You know, are you guys?
Speaker 6 (06:49):
I'm twenty seven, Like, I think the game is changing,
Like even from a you know, a business standpoint, it's
so many young people who get, you know, opportunities to
have and be put in positions as like you know,
top hair positions. So I think if I can do
it in my thirties, I think that'll be a great accomplishment.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
Do you have like a dream school that you would
like to coach at?
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Not trying to take nobody's job right now, obviously, because
but if you.
Speaker 5 (07:15):
Could, like I like, I wouldn't say at school, but
I like the ACC.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I just recently learned from being around all these basketball
players that all the conferences have their own like reputations,
if you will, Like y'all said that the SEC was
a little rough, what are the reputations, I'm curious.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Well, now it's a little different because they're all like
mixed up. So you have like pack twelve teams in
the ACC now and you have Big twelve teams and
the SEC. So I would say, like when me and
Taja were in college, like the ACC was like the
fast and finesse finesse. Yeah, the SEC was the like
just really athletic, kind of bully chop off lane.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Big ten was like they.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
This is kind of red.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
But my coach said it.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I'm she said that Big ten players were corn corn
meal fed or corn fed corn fed women or something
like that.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
So that's what the Big Ten was.
Speaker 4 (08:09):
Like.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
I don't know much about the PAC twelve because I
never played in.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
I would say FACT twelve was like softer basketball transition threes,
like more finesse, you know, like.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
Like a less I don't know, I was gonna say
less athletic finesse. Screen screen, screen screen. We're seeing what
Stanford look like right now in the ACC. So it's
like it's it's it's it's so crazy that like leagues
have reputations like that. And I think that's also why
people love women's basketball, because it's not completely like that
(08:40):
in men's college basketball like it is for women's But
I think that's what I think that's why there's the
discrepancy and people like.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
No men's it's like good bad football basketball, not a
basketball school, basketball school.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
No facts.
Speaker 4 (08:57):
I think the one last thing I want to do
is give you your flowers because you have been just
such an amazing person to me.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
You've been an amazing human being.
Speaker 4 (09:07):
I love what you're doing with the young people, with
your coaching. So just yeah, guys, So to give y'all
some context of this, at the end of our episodes,
we give flowers. So every episode, whatever's going on in
women's basketball space, we'll give people flowers.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
So for our guests today, we are.
Speaker 4 (09:26):
Giving them flowers. So tajha here, thank yous, love you. Thanks, Okay,
you guys ready for our next guest.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
I know, I am.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Okay.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
We got some some youngins coming into the building, Vanderbilt's finest.
I personally think they are the best one two punch
in the sec. Let's give a warm welcome to Camille
Pierre and michaeleb Blakes. Come on, girly pops. Yeah, welcome.
(10:07):
This is y'all's first podcast appearance. Huh yeah, yes, I'm honored.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
My favorite thing ever, is that, like today, we're getting
to see all different sides of women's basketball. It's like
we're getting to see with the off season in AU
and we're getting to see the young ens and we're
getting to see the w and it's like so special.
And I think that you guys are in such a
special era when it comes to women's sports. And I
(10:33):
just want to know, in this early portion of your career,
what has been the most exciting part about being a
college basketball player.
Speaker 9 (10:44):
Honestly, it's my second year. I feel like the best
boy has just been like traveling. I know, last year
we went to Italy, so like it's super cool. And
I'm from the West coast, so going to like different
cities over here in states, like that's been really fun
to me.
Speaker 10 (10:56):
Yeah, I'd agree with her the traveling part. And then
I mean to be able to play basketball and not
have to pay for school, and like my parents being
able to support me and come to games and just
sort of like give back to them.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Oh that's beautiful.
Speaker 8 (11:09):
Oh my god, I was not the sweet in college party.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
No, Okay, So I'm gonna ask you, Camille. So you're
in your second year, like you said, you know, looking
at your stats from last year to this year, you
doubled your output in every category pretty much, which is
very impressive for somebody young to do. So what like
what was your mindset in the off season and like
(11:35):
what did your like offseason look like coming into the
year two.
Speaker 9 (11:39):
So I went home back to Phoenix, and I spent
a lot of time in the gym, obviously, but I
worked out with a lot of former overseas players w
and then Arizona we do this thing called like pro Run,
so it's like top division athletes, overseas people, and we
just like play fives and it's like three times a week.
So I feel like that got me a lot better
on the court, but I feel like my growth was
(12:00):
more so like mentally, because my freshman year, I remember
our first SAC game, I played three minutes and like
that's not me, Like I'm not rocking with that.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
So I knew that I didn't want to have a
repeat in my last season.
Speaker 9 (12:11):
So this season was kind of personal, like I wanted
to come out and like show the world that I
am capable and I think I am like one of
the best in the country.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
So and I think you are and you showing it.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Would you say that five on five is better than
like individual workouts because I talk I get into it
with people all the time about like just being in
the gym by yourselfs versus actually playing, Like would you
think that, like if you could pick, would you play
more than Like obviously being in the gym is important,
but like how much did you, like, how much growth
did you experience from being able to play five on five?
Speaker 9 (12:42):
I think honestly, you just have to play to get better,
like the contact, the moving, like I think that helps
a lot. But for someone like me who hasn't been
playing a long time, like I also need like that
just one on more workout stuff because it's only like
my fourth year play basketball, So.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
Really, what what now career got to get into that?
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Sorry, if you look through the record books at Vandy,
it's colored with them, like the whole the whole thing
is them, so for you to have only when did
you start playing.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Like in high school?
Speaker 9 (13:11):
I didn't take it serious until my junior because I
played soccer like my whole life growing up. I was
on the national team, I had office in like seventh grade,
and then I played just the two three months of
AAU like my junior.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Summer, and that's when I got on my office.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
How are you able to translate your soccer skills into
basketball so quickly?
Speaker 3 (13:28):
I have no clue. I just wanted to what made
you like choose basketball?
Speaker 2 (13:35):
Though?
Speaker 9 (13:36):
So in Arizona side soccer and basketball at the same time,
so like soccer's year round. So I was able to
play soccer and then still try out for the high
school basketball team and they put me on varsity as
a freshman. But I mean I was bad and I
was just like a small, like long, lengthy kid, and
my high school team mutes were like, yeah, you need
to stick to soccer, like you're never going to be
anything in the basketball world, like, and that was bad.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
I just felt like I had to prove a point.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
So I was excited ship just a chip after chip
after chip on that shoulder.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
I like that a pressure can either make you weaker
or it can make you into what you are.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
So that's impressive.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Yeah, let's clap it up for that. That's amazing.
Speaker 4 (14:16):
Hey, y'all, Finna keep clapping after we talk about what
Mikayla's been doing this.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Season, not to say, because Mikayla, you just broke the
single game scoring record for Division one freshman, as well
as the SEC single game scoring record for the second
time this season with fifty five points. How have you
been able to set the tone so early?
Speaker 10 (14:39):
I think just coming here, I just wanted to prove
it with my work ethic. I think being in the
gym this summer and then just taking a lot of
learning from my teammates, and then having an older brother
definitely helps too.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
So I want to talk about the second fifty point game.
Fifty five right, I'm pretty sure I read that you
had thirty points in the fourth quarter, so scoring twenty
five points from I think it was like maybe like
four minutes left in the fourth quarter in the overtime,
what were you thinking about in that moment?
Speaker 10 (15:13):
Just do anything I can so that we win, because
we had just came off a loss in double overtime,
and I feel like I didn't play my best in
that game and I didn't really get that chance to
prove myself in those moments. But then I said, when
it comes to overtime this game, like I'm going to
prove myself and prove to my teammates I'm trustworthy and
they can rely on me.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
That's amazing. So like outside of your play.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
I came in to Maryland as a freshman and I
had four seniors with me starting, so it took me
some time to gain their trust. And I had to
like do like a little bit extra like outside of
basketball to prove to them like I was mature enough
I could handle it. Like what are some of the
ways that you've been like showing your older teammates that,
like you can be trustworthy, that you can be someone
(15:55):
that they can be on the court with.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (15:57):
I think like in high school I had the same thing.
Speaker 2 (15:59):
I think the whole well, it.
Speaker 10 (16:00):
Was supposed to be five seniors starting, but then the
coach put me in the lineup in high school as
a freshman, so and my teammates embraced me there, and
I just learned like you really have to prove yourself,
like nothing's going to be given to you.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
You're still a freshman. You have no experience.
Speaker 10 (16:12):
They have all the experience, So you just kind of
have to, like I said before, the work ethic and
just prove to them like I'm really dedicated to the
game and I love it and I'm gonna do anything
to be the best teammate and do whatever this team needs.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
I feel like there's I'll just say it, there's a
little bit of a narrative about I was about to
say your generation, but y'all literally like my age, this
generation of athletes and basketball players and college athletes with
nil and everything like that.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Y'all know what I'm talking about.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
I feel like people view the newer generation of athletes
as softer in some way than the previous generation. But
listening to you guys talk, you have that grit and
like that dog mentality, and I'm curious where that comes from.
Speaker 9 (16:54):
I think for me, it's just always been like being
underrated and just like not being talked about even to
this day. So it's just like remind myself that I've
achieved so much, but I have so much more that
I want to and that there's such a long way
to go.
Speaker 10 (17:06):
Yeah, I just have to agree with her on that one.
I think that both of us are still underrated. Nobody
talks about us, but we are.
Speaker 11 (17:12):
Yeah, you guys are.
Speaker 10 (17:16):
I feel like we're both, like, as you said, one
of the best duos in the country, and we just
both have something to prove because they're going to keep
talking about the same people until you prove them wrong.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
In those games.
Speaker 10 (17:25):
So that's what we're going to keep doing.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
I mean, I know we were talking in the back
like y'all's season hasn't really gone how y'all would have
liked it to be. But you know, you still have
two more conference games, right, like you said, then you
have the tournament. Like, what are y'all's expectations for this
team and how far, like do you guys think y'all
can take this team?
Speaker 10 (17:44):
I think we need to have a turning point in
these coming games, and I think in the SEC tournament
we can go far, and the NCAA Tournament we can
go far. I think that's what we both wanted when
we came here and definitely why I picked Vanderbilt, and
I feel like we can do it as a team
at least make it to the round of thirty two
sweet sixteen.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
So yeah, so much of the tournament is about like
your matchups, and I feel like like there's not two
players on many teams that can keep up with y'all.
So I haven't rooting for y'all since the beginning, and
I'm just like really excited that you guys are getting
a little bit of recognition.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
I agree with y'all.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Y'all are not getting nearly the recognition that y'all deserve,
but that's what we're here for to help with that.
I do wanted to ask, you know more, a little
bit about the NIO. We won't get into like numbers
or anything like that, but we were also talking in
the back about like dream dream partnerships and stuff. So
if you could have like one or two brands or
companies like you could work with while you were in
(18:42):
college or even as a pro, like, what would they be.
Speaker 9 (18:45):
I would do Mercedes give me a little g wagon
period probably like Louis Vuitton, like something.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
She woos over there.
Speaker 10 (18:55):
I'd have to go BMW for my car, and then
I don't know that. I'd probably do something like more
on the grilly side, with like fashion and stuff.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
You were talking about learning from pros players overseas. What
are some players male or female that you guys feel
like you look up to or that your game is
similar to anything like that.
Speaker 9 (19:16):
I feel like me I probably just started watching the
league like last year, so I would say, like Rakia Jackson,
I feel like our games model each other and she's
like our same kind of build and like we'll play
on SEC.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
I feel like we moved the same, so her for sure.
Speaker 10 (19:28):
Yeah, I'd probably go my brother probably, And then I've
just always looked at Maya more and just hearing about
her and hearing my coaches talk about her.
Speaker 4 (19:36):
So, now you guys are new WNBA fans viewers. Who
is y'all's favorite WNBA team to watch? If you watched enough,
If y'all haven't, y'all better start watching.
Speaker 9 (19:49):
Mine is the Sparks, But I'm from the West Coast
and like all the things.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Good thing this is only audio.
Speaker 10 (19:58):
Mine was probably I like the Liberty because I was
just close to home and I can go to the
Barclays anytime I wanted.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
So paggyback off of that question, if you could play
for any WNBA team, what team would it be?
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I'm going to Sparks. It's in LA, and like that's
just my vibe.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Let me stop.
Speaker 10 (20:16):
Now.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
LA is fun, like I loved playing in LA.
Speaker 10 (20:20):
So I feel you me, I don't know, maybe go
back to home, like somewhere around there in the Tri
State where people can come watch from the family.
Speaker 8 (20:27):
Y'all are La, New York?
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Like those are your favorite teams? Believaton g Wagon yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:32):
Y'all Hollywood for real and y'all in Nashville, So I
can't imagine how y'all act if y'all actually got to
like an la or in New York, but y'all got
I mean, it's been really nice like hearing y'all because
I don't I haven't.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Really liked talk to y' all that much.
Speaker 4 (20:47):
Like this is our first like real conversation, and like
Mariah said, like a lot of us do think that
this younger group is soft and lacks discipline and all
these kind of things, and like y'all don't.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
Y'all are the future and you deserve more of these
opportunities to get your stories out there for people to
hear that y'all's generation isn't what people are trying to
make it out to be. And so thank you so much.
I've enjoyed talking to you also, and.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
We would like to give you guys your flowers.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
All right, give it up for the Vandy girls. They're
so wise and mature.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
Oh my gosh, I'm like, why am I getting nervous?
Speaker 4 (21:30):
Can I imagine myself on a podcast at eighteen or
nineteen years old?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
I'm glad that put it isn't out there.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
Our final guests up, they really don't need an intro,
but I'm gonna intro them anyway. We have some WNBA
champs faces of the league. You have Sidney Colson and
Teresa Plays. It's in the building, everybody. Hey, hi, guys,
(22:16):
I'm gonna say.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
I'm so honored we brought the baritones on the stage already.
Speaker 8 (22:25):
What's off limits for us to say? Nothing?
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Nothing?
Speaker 1 (22:27):
Absolutely nothing.
Speaker 8 (22:29):
Cool. Good to know. We're just trying to make sure
we didn't know what the rating was on this or whatever.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Whatever. Do y'all ever filter yourselves?
Speaker 8 (22:41):
Ever?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
No, I would never ask you to not be yourselves.
So just be yourselves.
Speaker 4 (22:47):
Okay, Okay, you're right. Just youys can relax now, Okay,
sit and TP. First thing I want to ask you, guys,
because I've never asked all this before. It's like, how
did y'all get a TV show?
Speaker 12 (23:07):
I asked TP like a couple weeks after meeting her. Really,
I was like, Hey, would you ever want to do
something like in front of the camera? And we had
heard about one another in the league, but never like
we're in the same space. We just heard that was
the other funny person with one of the other funny
people in the league.
Speaker 8 (23:26):
So there was a little bit on.
Speaker 12 (23:30):
W It's just like when we have like mutual friends
that we have, They're like, look, we've got a lot
of teammates, like this person is like one of my
funniest teammates I've ever had, And I would hear her
name a lot and I'm just like, who is this bitch?
I'm like, like, what kind of funny? So we had
to like experience one another. But I was supposed to
be doing something with together. I was gonna do like
a six episode podcast or something, just talking about my
(23:55):
experience in the W like being in and out the league,
how to stay in the league, me wanting to become
an actor, doing stand up stuff like that. So just
like my whole experience. And once I'm at TP, I
told my agent. I was like, hey, I think we
need to go back to them and tell them that,
like I need to do something with TP.
Speaker 8 (24:11):
It needs to be in front of the camera.
Speaker 7 (24:15):
Week meeting me like I could have been a serial killer.
Speaker 8 (24:20):
This would have been worth it anyway.
Speaker 13 (24:22):
The way that she brought it up to me was, Hey,
would you ever do something on TV?
Speaker 7 (24:27):
And that was absolutely not.
Speaker 12 (24:30):
Right. So I just spent like weeks trying to convince
her throughout the round you want to do it the
entire season, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Trying to convince her as of what like are you
asking me every day?
Speaker 12 (24:41):
Like or just like whenever she said something really funny,
I'm like, girl, that was good, that would be good
on TV.
Speaker 8 (24:48):
But it took a while.
Speaker 12 (24:49):
But once we pitched it to them, then they had
us like meet with somebody that they were trying to
hire to be the showrunner of the show. And actually Carly,
our director. You met Carly you were on the show.
Carly came up with the log line of like two
w NBA players driving to be the face of the league,
despite the fact that nobody asked them to, And once
Carli pitched that to us on the call, we were
(25:11):
like absolutely and from yeah it was.
Speaker 4 (25:15):
It really was, honestly, I really and I had only
known both of you from a distance. I remember watching
I watched Sydney in the National Championship game and I'm like,
she's a dog. You still are a dog, but now
you're a funny dog. I had no idea like this
was your personality, Like watching you play like you would
(25:36):
have no idea.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
I'm like, she's kind of scary and I love her
not at.
Speaker 4 (25:40):
All, but like getting to know you, I'm like, I
would have never thought like this was your personality. I
know how old I was that twenty elevenphomore.
Speaker 8 (26:02):
I think, Yeah, it.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Was you against Notre Dame.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
Yeah, that was like one of the most elite final
fours I think I've ever watched in my life.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
But I remember I'd be like, were you always the
funny one on your teams? Or when you were younger,
and like trying to get it was like, Okay, ain't
shit funny?
Speaker 8 (26:18):
Or like were you always me both either one of you?
Speaker 13 (26:22):
Yeah, I've always been the team jokes for even taking
it to like full blown high school. I was voted
class clown after being at that high school for only
two years. Yeah, so I get pretty acclimated easily, and
my jokes would start flowing after I guess a few minutes.
Speaker 8 (26:45):
Like immediately. Yeah. I mean always had like.
Speaker 12 (26:51):
Probably like one teammate that that was always like we
both would just like go at it or like had
the same like same humor, but yeah, pretty much always
like the jokes to the clown.
Speaker 8 (27:02):
I was class down in high school too.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
So y'all are the ones y'all out, yeah, we were
both nobody wants to make eye contact with y'all and
coach shoo and y'all out, no, not at all.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Which is crazy now because now even in those moments,
they get them on camera and of y'all and post them. Yeah,
but y'all are doing something that y'all should not be doing,
like on the bench or in a huddle, there's a
camera right on you every time, and they just post.
Speaker 12 (27:26):
Yeah, we used to get away with it more like
social media and like the w getting more attention has
brought more to it.
Speaker 8 (27:32):
But like we've both been doing this since since my
rookie year, easily my rookie year, so it just gets
more attentions. Be the same.
Speaker 4 (27:41):
Y'all could probably have like a highlight reel of like
your basketball highlights, and then like a blooper reel of just.
Speaker 12 (27:47):
I think the highlight reel would be the the comedy.
Speaker 8 (27:51):
The basketball one would be pretty short, but sure.
Speaker 13 (27:57):
Of the game down thirty throws in there. But our
bloopers were countless throughout the season. I mean, starting from
my rookie year, I did not play. I literally didn't.
I remember, like towards the end of my rookie year.
This is actually hilarious. Towards the end of my rookie year.
Speaker 8 (28:14):
We'll tell you, you know what it is.
Speaker 7 (28:16):
I want to tell you guys, this is funny.
Speaker 13 (28:18):
One of the owners of our franchise came up to
me in this one specific game and he said, oh,
we thought you were actually gonna get to score today.
Speaker 7 (28:28):
Yeah, And I was like, I gotta shut off this.
Speaker 13 (28:35):
Next time. I did end up shooting humbly four for
four from the free throw line my rookie year because
what suck me on the team. I'm pretty sure my
personality and me just willing to do extra cardio with
anyone who needed it.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
So that's a great teammate though, because you were Because
that's the thing that people don't understand because like we
all kind of have very similar experiences in the w
you know, getting being the best, one of the best
in college, getting to the league, and you're like quickly
humbled like, oh you're actually not that good, but like
you can try, you can be here. But you guys
(29:14):
like took the route to like just beat great teammates
but still have like very long successful careers.
Speaker 3 (29:20):
Y'all want a championship.
Speaker 4 (29:22):
So when y'all finally like were re like united in Vegas, Like,
what was that experience like for y'all?
Speaker 7 (29:28):
Honest are great? Like I really didn't know.
Speaker 13 (29:31):
I was showing up to Vegas not really knowing anybody,
Like I knew people from a distance, but I wasn't
I didn't have any friends on the team. So I'm
showing up to Vegas like not really knowing.
Speaker 7 (29:42):
What to expect, and then lo and behold this.
Speaker 13 (29:46):
Yeah, was just sitting in the locker room and just
hit it off from day one. I came in Lake
because I was playing in Spain, so I showed up
with like three days left of training camp. So when
I showed up, immediately hit it off. Spent every waking
minute together, I feel like, just talking.
Speaker 12 (30:02):
Okay, were not submitting every waking pretty much.
Speaker 7 (30:09):
We were like, hey, what are you doing? After you
you invited me?
Speaker 14 (30:13):
Details, details, keep going okay, So we didn't after practice
go lift weights together, and then after that go the
cool tap together, and then after that separate for dinner,
but then reconvene later that evening.
Speaker 7 (30:26):
To watch the NBA Playoffs. The pool side together.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
Pool side true, pool side true?
Speaker 8 (30:32):
True?
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Wait were we still? Were we still sharing RUMs at
this time?
Speaker 11 (30:37):
No, No, our apartment so like we could have just called.
Speaker 12 (30:42):
But we're the time that once we find like somebody funny,
like Okay, I'm gonna keep hanging out with you then
cuz I wanna laugh if I'm gonna get cut, I
need to have a good time before I'm gonna have
a good time.
Speaker 8 (30:53):
Before I didn't so good time.
Speaker 12 (30:55):
This girl was bringing the laughs and a good time.
But no, we were really just like we we just
hit it off. We were like insps. Just when you
like find a friend you feel like you've known for
a long time, or anybody you're like, damn, I feel
like I have known you.
Speaker 1 (31:07):
Yeah, but that's important And sport, it's like you said,
you showed up and you didn't know anybody, and then
you met and you had that camaraderie and you had
somebody Like people don't realize it's like showing up to
work and not knowing any of your coworkers.
Speaker 8 (31:19):
But you gotta work together.
Speaker 1 (31:21):
So that's why you need people who are like fun
and funny and cool and like we'll make everybody talk
because not everybody's showing up like that.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
Yeah, you really need one. You just need like one
little buddy, like just one.
Speaker 13 (31:35):
That dinner body on the road where you're like, hey,
we're going to eat tonight. Yeah you're in like yeah
smoking that again, You're like what Mohican rush.
Speaker 7 (31:44):
Eating that tonight?
Speaker 12 (31:45):
You know, if you have somebody that you know is
gonna have your back end stuff, If y'all are both new,
you feel like a little more confident going into a
new situation because like a right, at least got this
one person and if stuff isn't going well or whatever,
like you got somebody to talk to, you can kind
of get over it faster. I think it's just like
it just makes the environment much easier. And we all
were new to that space obviously, the entire team and
(32:06):
stuff pretty much was new to one another.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Yeah, and I'll say like.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
Bias because I love y'all and we've grown very close
since playing in AU like that like re emergence of
the Aces as like the powerhouse it became, and like
how y'all just captured like the entire WBA fan base
with like y'all's energy and y'all style of play, Like
I think y'all fueled that kind of like I remember
(32:33):
just seeing the content and stuff that they were putting
out and it was like always y'all, And I think
that like that was such an underrated part of the
championship run, was having people like you on the team.
And like I was kind of that in Chicago. I'm
not as fun, but like I was like the same y'all.
Speaker 8 (32:53):
Y'all had a good group like I would.
Speaker 4 (32:57):
I remember there'd be moments where everyone was like kind
of just looking around and they like look at me,
like do some funny.
Speaker 8 (33:03):
Say so stupid? Yeah.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
So, like even like when we made it to the finals,
I said, Candice, we make it to the finals, can
you make a TikTok with us?
Speaker 3 (33:13):
And she's like yeah, sure, Like we're at sixth place.
Speaker 5 (33:15):
She probably was like.
Speaker 8 (33:16):
We're not making it to the finals.
Speaker 3 (33:18):
We made it. That was the first thing I asked her.
Speaker 8 (33:20):
We got the locker room.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
One, okay, walked right into that locker room time and
she did it.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
Yeah, it was at that and then when everybody like
dance like dances out, so it was just like the
back of her head. She was like it was like
ten percent effort, but at least she did it.
Speaker 8 (33:41):
Well, good for you, I know, can is to be
a real liar, please just spread.
Speaker 7 (33:47):
Let's let's take into that.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Is it hard for you all to get your teammates
to do that stuff, like to participate in the TikTok
challenges and the jokes and whatnot?
Speaker 4 (33:57):
Not?
Speaker 8 (33:57):
Really I was literally about to say, we don't for.
Speaker 13 (34:06):
We don't force it upon them, but like, okay, I'm
gonna speak about what I've seen from Sydney. Okay, so
Cidney does this thing that's like we're talking about clouds
in the sky, and then Sidney always is like, well
what if? Okay, Whenever Sidney says what if there was?
At minimum?
Speaker 11 (34:22):
And I roll from Chelsea, gret A grunts from Asia,
three people turning around into their locker spaces like this,
but I'm tuning in.
Speaker 8 (34:34):
I'm like, what what if?
Speaker 7 (34:36):
What?
Speaker 11 (34:37):
Please us?
Speaker 7 (34:38):
But everybody was dying to know what they was about
to say. Therefore they wanted to participate.
Speaker 8 (34:44):
They wanted in that like they didn't.
Speaker 12 (34:45):
Chelsea would roll their odds and stuff and be like,
here you go again, but what tell me?
Speaker 8 (34:50):
What?
Speaker 7 (34:50):
What?
Speaker 2 (34:51):
What say?
Speaker 12 (34:52):
You want to know so bad? Like stop acting like
you don't like us. So it was just like a
like we got we get just get cool with people.
I think just by honestlyky or like showing some sort
of like like interest in everybody on the team for
whatever it is that they have going, whether it's the
(35:13):
most important player on the team, like like the MVP
or the point guard, or it's the last person which
happens to be honest, maybe maybe not twelve, but like
Tim on the bench, like we're gonna find out something.
Speaker 13 (35:29):
It was really easy to work up the ladder because
we were cool from the start. Twelve we're good.
Speaker 12 (35:37):
But I'm saying, like I think when you are like
genuinely interested in who your teammates are and like you
try to find out what they like, like you hang
out with them off the court, I think people like
normally people are just gonna slowly like open up a
little bit. And so it's never like us propping up
a camera and like begging them to come.
Speaker 8 (35:56):
It's like if we said everybody to do that what
you're about to do, and then you know, it's just
like more.
Speaker 4 (35:59):
Even when y'all we filmed y'all's episode when we had
a whole production crew in camera.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
It did not even feel like that.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
We had like lines and everything, and there was actors
in there, and it just felt like we.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
Were just hanging out, but we were making a show.
Speaker 13 (36:14):
You loved talking trash like Lexi took her job very seriously, right.
Speaker 4 (36:21):
Mind you, I don't talk trash at all in games
in real life. That's why the episode was so funny
because I don't say doesn't say SI and TV show
is like it was like a scripted not scripted show.
So they had asked me and Jordan Canada to be
in one of their episodes and the premise of the
episode was trash talking and drag queens were teaching them
(36:43):
how to trash talk.
Speaker 11 (36:45):
So we.
Speaker 4 (36:47):
So we played Me and Jordan played two on two
again sit in TP, and it was just like trash like.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
It was almost unseerious.
Speaker 8 (36:54):
You want to.
Speaker 4 (36:56):
I don't like like, I don't like shoes like TP.
I am about about shoes like our makeup was done like,
but it was so funny.
Speaker 7 (37:05):
Your makeup's not done for games though, that was normal.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
You're right, right, all right, not professionally done. If I
could get my makeup professionally done for games, I probably
would it will be.
Speaker 8 (37:15):
I would never because whom when I now?
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Oh, I got a question, what's y'all's favorite opposing arena
to play in?
Speaker 8 (37:32):
M I liked Madison Square Garden a lot. Oh yeah,
what was a mystery?
Speaker 7 (37:38):
Honestly?
Speaker 13 (37:38):
Like Connecticut, I feel like it's a really good shooters gym,
Like the backdrop is great.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
Oh no, nothing month, so you'd be in three?
Speaker 8 (37:46):
I like New York. I think in La.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
You know what's crazy about that question now? And I'm
thinking about it.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
When I was on a team, my favorite gym to
play in was the team I like then got traded to.
So when I was in Connecticut, I was like, oh
my god, I love playing in Target Center, Boom Minnesota.
Speaker 8 (38:08):
Mines Manifest where you want to go.
Speaker 4 (38:10):
My favorite gym plane was is Seattle, and it's gonna
be in Seattle forever.
Speaker 9 (38:14):
I know.
Speaker 8 (38:15):
That's what No.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
Lanta was.
Speaker 4 (38:17):
It was Staples, which I still love playing in Staples
Earth Crypto.
Speaker 3 (38:22):
Sorry, but No.
Speaker 4 (38:24):
Seattle's gym is fun to playing because their environment is crazy.
I hate playing in Vegas. Y'all fans are hostile.
Speaker 2 (38:34):
Like that's kind of a good thing.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
It's a good thing.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
But like No y'all's fans are amazing, but it's hard
to play in Vegas.
Speaker 13 (38:40):
It's hard to play in Vegas and in Phoenix because
the second you step off that airplane, all the moisture
gets sucked out of your skin and you have dry
mouth and you have just like dry hands. And one
day is it enough to acclimate your body to the climate? Yea,
(39:00):
because when you're in Vegas, like when you're there for
the season, you don't feel that, but when you're in.
Speaker 7 (39:05):
And out you feel it.
Speaker 8 (39:07):
It's much more aggressive.
Speaker 7 (39:08):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4 (39:08):
How was your first year in Vegas as a new team,
because I remember that was my rookie year and I
remember everybody had Vegas circled because everyone was so excited
to go there. And now everyone's like, it's like Mohigan now,
like going to Vegas like going to Mandolin.
Speaker 8 (39:23):
How was it from one perspective.
Speaker 4 (39:25):
From like being like in the new team.
Speaker 8 (39:30):
I liked it.
Speaker 12 (39:31):
It was the management and everything, Like you could just
tell that it just seemed like a different vibe around
the team, like an energy around the organization. I think
all the players felt that, and I think having coaches
from the NBA and stuff coming in it just felt
like it was gonna be something different than what the
league had scene, which I mean it was for a
(39:53):
little while the offense that was ran and everything. Everybody
started running that stuff now, so it's like gonna come
with something else.
Speaker 8 (40:01):
But it was cool when it was new. It was
like it.
Speaker 12 (40:04):
Was greaty because it was hard to the stuff was
hard to guard, and we happened to have the right
people in place to be running for No.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
I do think I'm giving I'm giving y'all all these
dayn compliments like y'all are my oppression. This is really hard,
like the other of us are there. But like while
that was going on, I'm like I remember watching y'all
like just get the acest organizations, just get better every year,
and I'm like they really set in the tone and
the table for what the wn BA needs to look
(40:32):
like and what it needs to do. So the fact
that y'all were able to win two championships playing the
way y'all play, with the personnel y'all have, with the
resources you have, like people like obviously there's other teams
that are like, oh, we wish we had that, and
they like gon be shady about it, Like I'm like,
thank you Vegas.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
Thank you New York. That'sk you everybody.
Speaker 12 (40:52):
When I was on teams that were like not doing well,
like when I was in San Antonio, when I heard
about other teams like getting things like whatever you hear
about the people are doing stuff under the table, if
somebody's flying charter, I was never mad at those people
doing it. Sometimes the envelope and a boundary needs to
be pushed because the league's not making it happen. So
you need owners who are actually interested in doing for
(41:16):
their team what should be done at a professional level. Anyways,
It's like if everybody just starts breaking the rule, they
don't have to adjust the rule, right, you have to
because it doesn't make sense anyway what we were doing, like.
Speaker 13 (41:26):
Like they shouldn't be the outlier, they should be the standard. Yeah,
and come to twenty twenty five. Now we're seeing all
these practice stilities going up. We're seeing like training tables
for players to be able to eat before and after practice,
Like all these things are necessities for guys. But like
you look at the women's game and you just like,
so y'all.
Speaker 3 (41:43):
Asking for too much food?
Speaker 13 (41:45):
Right?
Speaker 3 (41:46):
Right? Three hour practice?
Speaker 7 (41:48):
Right?
Speaker 8 (41:49):
Necessity for life?
Speaker 3 (41:50):
Well, I said this to you.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
You had that in college, so it's not necessarily like what, Oh,
it's a necessity for the guys, but it's not for y'all.
It's like, no, that's what I'm used to, Like, that's
the standard that I was, So why am I a
professional now and I'm not being held to that standard?
It doesn't make any sense.
Speaker 4 (42:05):
I remember when they when we caught wind of the
Liberty with their charter flights and they were trying to
like divide and conquer the league. But we were all
kind of like, good for them, right, that's something we
were like, good for New York, like that they.
Speaker 13 (42:19):
Got to New Jersey before in my life. But I
was like, I'm like, you go here was where'd they go?
Speaker 7 (42:25):
Like? They were like going to the Bahamas.
Speaker 11 (42:28):
They're taking training game at the Bahamas.
Speaker 1 (42:30):
We're like, but that's a common misconception, probably because it's women,
but that everybody thinks that when one team is doing well,
or one person is doing well, or they're new people
getting a certain level of attention or whatever, that there's
this jealousy and cattiness and anger and everybody's talking shit.
And but I would like y'all to speak to the
(42:53):
fact that that is not true and that that doesn't exist,
because being around y'all, I know it doesn't exist. I'm
trying to tell people on TikTok that doesn't exist. But
Joe Shmoe from Alabama's like, nah.
Speaker 12 (43:04):
Other, yeah, no, I'm not gonna discount what you're saying.
It is true on a level, there is, but it's
just like with normal people, you might say something that
is like envious of somebody's situation or like I remember,
you can think at times where we've been out the
league and you're watching a team and you're watching a
player and you're like, I bust this girl, Like I
(43:25):
make it very difficult for this girl to play basketball,
but like I can't get a contract. Things like that,
Like things like that are just said. Everybody has said
a jealous thing about somebody before, but it doesn't mean
that you're necessarily jealous of that person. It doesn't mean
that you don't want well for that person. So I
think that naturally is gonna happen. It happens in women's sports,
(43:46):
it happens in men's it happens in regular jobs.
Speaker 8 (43:49):
People call out what they see. Sometimes it's like.
Speaker 12 (43:53):
It may be some things may be unwarranted and not
completely factual, and maybe you are just emotional about a situation,
but some things are based in truth, and maybe it's
just not what people want to hear at the time.
But I think for the most part, yeah, like those
of us in this league, especially the way that it's
been for me since I've been a rookie, Like, people
for the most part want to see the league do well,
(44:14):
and people understand that when there are stars in the
league that are doing well and bringing eyes, that's good
for everybody. We have a pretty good idea of one
person or two people or whatever stars doing well helps
our entire league.
Speaker 8 (44:28):
I don't think that that's like no crazy to say.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
I mean, it happens in all sports leagues. I just don't.
Speaker 4 (44:34):
It's just weird that when it comes to our league,
people like like look at it kind of like well there,
if these handful of players are doing well, then everybody
else is mad. But like we're seeing right now in
the NBA, like everyone's trying to search far and wiy
for the new face at an NBA, Like it happens everywhere,
(44:55):
And like me and Mariah say all the time, like
the league doesn't need a singular face, like I think
leagues will do better if there's like multiple faces, including
sit in TP like I've I think y'all have been
like incredible for the w n B A, And I
do want to pivot like to a little bit of AU,
(45:16):
like what has AU meant to you guys in your career?
And I think I mean you can kind of thank
AU for y'all's friendship kind of because I would have
been looked at by the Aces if she hooping AU
and they wouldn't have met. So let's clap it up
for AU always. So yeah, like what is y'all's like
(45:40):
experience been like in PC members now?
Speaker 7 (45:44):
So like you know how hard I thought to be
on the BC?
Speaker 3 (45:47):
She did? God do we have her?
Speaker 4 (45:50):
We have her interview on like record TV came in
like she was running for president.
Speaker 8 (45:55):
She came in, So I wanted to spot so bad.
Speaker 4 (45:58):
I was like, even though you were the only one,
We're like.
Speaker 13 (46:03):
I already had a job, You're idoy presentation, I'm just
gonna get did it.
Speaker 7 (46:08):
But I wanted to nobody. He's been absolutely incredible.
Speaker 13 (46:12):
Like I think that once you're in it, once you
see it from the outside and it looks like fun,
and you don't, like you're hesitant to believe that, like
that kind of fun's actually happening, right, And when you
show up, you're like, oh my god, this is so
much fun.
Speaker 7 (46:26):
Like I'm meeting so many.
Speaker 13 (46:28):
Really cool people on like multiple levels, because you know,
a bunch of us do something outside of just basketball, right,
so like the out of balance meetings that we have
to like just get to know people on a deeper
level and understand people's whys and and just like mingle
and like meet strangers that you've never met before. But
(46:48):
also we'll be blaying on a team with them, Like
we have a forty person roster, and I felt closer
to a lot of these women on a forty person
roster than I have a twelve person roster sometimes, Like
and it's the environment, it's like the acceptedness. It's like
just the way that we go about our business here
that just feels like family. So that's what AU has
(47:09):
done for me. Also, have had a really incredible roommate
for the past.
Speaker 7 (47:14):
Seasons, said Sid.
Speaker 8 (47:17):
I think they got that.
Speaker 7 (47:19):
It would have been LEI. No.
Speaker 4 (47:23):
Actually this year, no, no roommate for me.
Speaker 8 (47:26):
Get it.
Speaker 12 (47:27):
Yeah, you and Bick I'm back, and Lydia he cans, Hey,
Caitlin got some players here. But yeah, for me, yeah,
like you said, I was out of the league in
twenty one, and so Tosh Cloud when she brought this
(47:47):
to like four or five of us other w players,
like just saying, look, the co founders John and Jonathan
are looking to start a basketball league, like make it
the fourth sport, and we need to put to other
a PC or we really need to reach out to
see how many players are actually would actually be interested
in this, and there are a lot of people interested
in Some people, you know, still ended up taking overseas jobs.
(48:10):
I think it was, you know, that uncertainty for some
people of like is this real, This like seems too
good to be true, even though there was like already.
Speaker 8 (48:18):
A model with other sports, it was still.
Speaker 12 (48:21):
In contracts, but it was like, yeah, but we've never
seen this though, And for me, I was like, I'm
I'm a risk taker anyways, Like I don't mind, Like
I like innovation. I like, you know, like something that
seems like it could be something in the future. Like
I'm like, okay, yeah, I want to get in on that.
Plus I just didn't have anything to lose. I was
out of the league, and it was like I still
(48:42):
want to play. I feel capable still and can still
make money. So I was like, yeah, I'll go do
this for six weeks in Vegas, Like that's a good time,
And so I went and Nicki and Becky were at
one of the games.
Speaker 8 (48:56):
I got a training camp contract.
Speaker 12 (48:58):
We won the next season, won the next season like
TP the first year.
Speaker 8 (49:02):
So it was like, really AU.
Speaker 12 (49:03):
I always give credit that AU change the trajectory of
my career, both on and off.
Speaker 8 (49:09):
The court, and sons.
Speaker 4 (49:11):
That a lot of players feel that way about AU,
and I think that's what makes it so special one
through forty, Like every time I come to AU, like
I just feel re energized when I leave. And I
think that's been like the biggest difference between my WNBA
career pre AU and current and post AU is like
I just have this new found energy and I have
(49:35):
new friends and like more friends in the league.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
Like and I was talking to Mariah because when going.
Speaker 4 (49:41):
Back to that, when people are like, oh, you guys
all hate each other, don't like each other, No, we
just don't ever be around each other in the offseason.
That's what I was going to say, known each other
as competitors, more teammates, and never liked just as like
human beings like existing and exploring like other things that
you like to do.
Speaker 3 (49:59):
So I I think, like, yes.
Speaker 4 (50:01):
We have like other leagues now, but like I really
think that like AU like set the tone for what
women's basketball in the US should be. And that's like
being around each other more than just training camp to
end a season and then you're like, Okay, see you
next year.
Speaker 12 (50:16):
And to make it a more like like really like
women's basketball pro pro basketball, like really more of a family.
And yeah, and people like I know since the first year,
like you were obviously about to be on the PC
the first year, but like we set out from the
very beginning to like make sure that we weren't having
(50:37):
a league full of W players. Yeah, Like it was
important for us to have people who were you know,
you might be overseas for like that have been overseas.
How many years had you played overseas before playing AU?
Speaker 8 (50:48):
Twelve years?
Speaker 9 (50:50):
Wow?
Speaker 7 (50:50):
You know.
Speaker 12 (50:51):
And we've had several players who have come through and
you just maybe you've been in a W training camp
and never made it. Maybe you never got a shot
at a training camp. But we're giving people a chance
to play in front of their families in the States
before you injure career. I mean, you end up playing
in front of the w U, NBA gms and coaches.
So it ends up being a really good environment for
(51:11):
us to get to know even more players than just who.
Speaker 8 (51:14):
We play with on w teams.
Speaker 12 (51:16):
And maybe if we end up on teams with people
overseas or maybe not on the same team, but when
you go to their city, I don't even know you, girl,
but you another black woman on the team.
Speaker 8 (51:25):
In Polish songs the game girl, what's up? Yeah.
Speaker 12 (51:34):
So it's been good to have this environment here for
us to be together. I mean it's five weeks now,
used to be six. But I think it really creates,
like you said, that that fun, that sisterhood for basketball,
Like it's reinvigorating for some people. And you know, hopefully
like we have young players that experience it and they
enjoy it, they feel like they got something from it,
(51:54):
and they continue to come back or tell people about it.
Speaker 1 (51:57):
Well, I will say you taking that leap and taking
a risk, say with au you too, Lexi. It's like
now the next generation of Hooper's coming into the w
are gonna have so much of a different experience than
y'all did because you were able to take that risk
and because you opened up the opportunity and showed the
proof of concept. So with that being sad, flowers flowers.
Speaker 3 (52:20):
We always give.
Speaker 1 (52:21):
Flowers at the end of every show, so we have
physical shower flowers for you guys.
Speaker 8 (52:25):
Thank you, appreciate it. Thanks guys, people get them, so
we were like, we better get something.
Speaker 4 (52:33):
I almost didn't even get you on any.
Speaker 3 (52:36):
We appreciate it, of course, Thank you guys.
Speaker 7 (52:39):
Thank you.
Speaker 8 (52:39):
Do we walk off now, I think show.
Speaker 4 (52:41):
You said if you want, We're about to wrap it up.
Thank you guys for coming to our first live episode
of Full Circle podcast. Wasn't as bad as I thought
it was gonna be.
Speaker 13 (52:55):
Out we didn't go we actually we have flowers for
you guys.
Speaker 8 (53:05):
No, seriously, thank y'all so much for coming.
Speaker 1 (53:07):
Like the things we were talking about today, for example,
the narrative about cattiness or jealousy or blah blah blah,
I feel like part of the reason that that comes
about is because a lot of the people covering women's
basketball aren't actual fans of the game or actually students
of the game, and so having people who will actually
have that experience, who have more to talk about than
just who hates this person or who likes this person
(53:28):
or who's the face or whatever, like all of that
stupid stuff. Like talking about actual basketball and stories that
matter is why we're doing this.
Speaker 4 (53:36):
So proud of you, Lexi, thank you, Thank you guys again.
Oh my goodness, my heart is very full. So thank
you guys so much.
Speaker 1 (53:46):
Thanks for listening to Full Circle. We'll be back next
week with more basketball for the girls, by the girls.
We want to hear from you. Leave us a review
on Apple Podcasts and tell us what you want us
to talk about. Full Circle is hosted by Lexi Brown
and Mariro. Our executive producer is Jesse Katz. Our supervising
producer is Grace Fuz. Our producer is Zoe Dankla. Listen
(54:07):
to Full Circle on America's number one podcast network, iHeart,
Open your free iHeart app and search Full Circle with
Lexi Brown and Mariah Rose and start listening
Hosts And Creators
Lexie Brown
Mariah Rose
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