October 29, 2025 • 46 mins
On this episode of Full Circle, Lexie and Mariah kick things off with a quick celebration of Lexie’s birthday! Then they discuss the Seattle Storm hiring Sonia Raman as head coach and the New York Liberty’s vacant coach position. They also dive into the future landscape of the W for coaches with so many players in free agency and the new CBA potentially giving more power to the players. Later, they discuss expansion teams and which new team will win a WNBA title first.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Full Circle is an iheartwoman's sports production in 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 good, y'all, Welcome back to another episode of the
Full Circle Podcast. My name is Mariah Rose and I'm
here with none other than the Birthday bat is Lexi Heger.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Is this my birthday?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
I feel like not really a real adult because I
was like, we have to do this today.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Like I've had a job. I'd be like, can I
stay home? It's my birthday.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I just want to be with myself and enjoy my birthday.
But that's not how life works. So here we are
recording on this beautiful Monday for you guys on my birthday.
I'm thirty one.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Oh my gosh, girl, and a beautiful thing to be black. Wow,
you look like you're in your twenties.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
A man yesterday told me that he asked me if
I was an nineteen, which I was like, all about that.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
No, you could pass.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
If you throw on your duke uniform right now, you
could pass.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
And I'm not pleasing. I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
But yeah, today to give you a little bit of
a hot topic as a play has been about the
coaching and the WNBA. So today we're just gonna we're
really the whole episode. What's going on with the coaches
in the w the new hires. Don't introduce them to
y'all if you are not familiar with some of the
new coaches that.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Have been hired. There's still one vacancy for the New
York Liberty. They have yet to hire a head coach,
but we'll get into that a little bit later.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
So really want to start, well, I guess we should Okay,
before we dive in, I think we should get into
your reaction to your new coach in Seattle, because when
I saw that, I wanted to talk to you about it.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
But how are you feeling? What do you think is
going to be different? And introduce us to.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
So I had I had no idea who they were
going to hire. So before we start, like, I had
no input in this, I had no conversation. All I
knew is that they were going to make a hire
before the end of the month, which is what they did.
She was an assistant with the.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Liberty, and prior to that, she was on the Memphis
Grizzlies coaching stuff, and for me, that makes me excited
because y'all know, I'm like an NBA junkie, and I
think as far as coaching and analytics and player development,
I think the NBA is way ahead of us, unfortunately
because they just have more resources than we've ever had
(02:40):
and we're getting there.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
But the fact that we're now attracting NBA coaches to
the w I think that's really good for us. So
I haven't had a chance to talk to her yet,
but our GM she reached out to me when the
news broke and she said that she's really excited for
me to speak with her and meet her eventually. Yeah, so,
(03:02):
like I don't really know much about her as far
as like who she is personally, but like her resume
is super impressive.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
She was a head coach at MIT.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
So hopefully you know, she can appreciate the fact that
I went to the school like Duke because she.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Was at MIT. Not saying that we're at MIT's level.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
But you can appreciate like the education, you know, background
between the both of us.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Smart girls.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
So I'm really excited. Also excited because.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
It is a woman, a woman of color, so you
know that's also been a really big topic of conversation.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Around the W is why we don't have, you know,
more women of color in head coaching positions.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So the fact that we were able to hire one
is definitely super special. Yeah, sorry, y'all, we had some
audio issues, so that's why I sounded probably like a whisper.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
Did it sound like Mariah Damn? Near?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I was so yeah, sorry guys, but yeah, where we hire,
very excited And yeah, again, it's very interesting hiring a
coach when any of these coaches, when you don't really
know who's going to be on your team. That goes
for like all of the new coaches outside of Dallas,
(04:14):
who would probably will keep that young group together hopefully
I would like them to, but you know it's on
my team. Outside of Dallas, every team that hired a
new coach is either an expansion team or just has
a team full of restricted free agents. So I think
it's going to be cool seeing these new coaches come in.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
Basically they get to build a team like that's not
a thing.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Usually when you get hired, you have to like inherit
what you got and deal with what you got, and
then you make the changes like over time, they get
to come into these head coaching positions with like a
blank slate. And that's like I said last week about
the everybody being a free agent like that, that's never
happened before. I keep telling y'all that WNBA is like
(04:58):
hard resetting right now. If I was, this would be
like the optimal time to become a head coach for me.
I get to hand pick my team top to bottom.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yet that's really that's really good, and especially because we
have like from research, like you guys are in the
middle of a mini rebuild coming off of last season
and going into next season. But every team is.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Of a mini rebuild right now, so it really depends,
like yeah, it really depends on what direction teams want
to go.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I also want to add that she she's the first
Indian Indian American female head coach in the w NBA.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
So I knew what you were saying, that she's a
woman color. I was like, there's something historic about that,
but that is what that is.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
So congratulation.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I'm so excited, and I also I'm really excited who
she's going to bring in as her staff. Honestly, and
I'm saying this like I do want to be in
Seattle guys like I love my teammates, like I love
playing with dom Like dom is the future of the
status story, Like that's just point blank period.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
Domin is the future.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
And I really really enjoyed playing basketball with Dominique, So
if it was up to me, like that's where I
want to be. I want to be there for her growth.
I want to help her become super dominant in the W.
So I am speaking about this coach and this coaching
staff from a perspective of me possibly being in Seattle,
Like I'm not going to act like I'm like, oh,
I could be anywhere, Like I know where I want
(06:23):
to be, And sometimes you just kinda it's hard to
prepare for every off season.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
Like not knowing.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
So you know, I'm just gonna prepare like I'll be
in Seattle and be really excited about that hire. But
I have no idea what direction she's going to go
in as far as her staff, play development, assistant coaches,
all of these things.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
So I think that.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
For me, I really enjoy playing with younger players as well,
and I do. Sometimes I feel like I get traded
like I'm a younger player because just I've just been
in and out and like I haven't really had a
moment to be like one of those like big name vets.
So I kind of get grouped with like the young players,
especially this past season.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
But for me, it's great, it's it's a great experience.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I think that this season in particular tested my leadership
and my maturity as far as you know, having so
many young players looking at me like dang, Like I
know she's not happy with what's going on, but like,
how is she gonna continue to act like a pro
and be a pro? So if we're in if we're
in rebuild mode, I'm I'm I'm all in on that.
Like I think that could be a fun opportunity for me.
(07:29):
I think it could be a fun opportunity for us.
But like we said, like she has hundreds hundreds of
players to choose from, so to hand pick this this team,
so it's gonna be interesting.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Also, I read this she came from working with the
Liberty and a lot of people thought that she was
going to coach them. I'm curious.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
I don't understand what's going on with that coaching job.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
I don't know if you really think of have any
opinions or thoughts, but that it's crazy to me.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
I think, I mean, I think every team it's going
to be interesting to see what the direction they go in.
But because they've won just two years ago, Like, are
they going to try and keep that group together and
try one another one or is everyone going to go
their separate ways and try and win on their own.
And again, I had no input into this coaching higher.
(08:24):
I wonder if any of the players over there are
having any type of conversations or input about who they're
bringing in.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
I mean the GM of the Liberty, he was very
adamant of putting Sabrina in situations to be successful and
efficient and back to her level of play from two
seasons ago. Not that she had a bad season this year,
but as far as like her shooting percentages, it was
something that we weren't used to seeing. And I think
(08:50):
they're going to bring in a coach that's going to
prioritize outside shooting and Sabrina, and I.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
Don't know who that's going to be. I have no idea.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
The fact that they haven't hired anybody yet is actually
kind of crazy. The fact that Sandy got fired was
also crazy. So I think everybody's just sitting waiting to
see what the liberty do.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
But I have I have no idea. I haven't heard
anything about it.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Well before we get to this next job.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I'm curious from your perspective being a WNBA player, I
know in the NBA, typically when there's a coaching situation,
whether it's the coach got fired and they're looking for
a new coach or whatever the case may be, star
player is always star player, star player, star player?
Speaker 4 (09:44):
What do they want? Who are they looking at? Joannis
in Milwaukee?
Speaker 1 (09:49):
They're constantly being like, oh, he's like gunstantly switching coaches
and he's handpicking this guy and he doesn't like that guy.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
Is that similar in the W or the gms?
Speaker 1 (09:58):
The front office asking their star, Hey, what do you
think based on what you now?
Speaker 3 (10:03):
I honestly, I honestly have no idea. Honestly have no idea.
I do know like in LA, and I'm not saying
that I was a star, but anyway.
Speaker 5 (10:10):
Obviously I wasn't.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
But in our exit meetings, you know, we have our conversations,
and I straight up was like, I would really appreciate
for you guys to not fire Kurt, like and I
wasn't the only player who said that and they fired
him anyway. So I think that they do value our
opinions to a point, but like as far as like
actual decision making, I wouldn't know anything about that because
(10:33):
no one has ever had really valued my opinion that much.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
To where affected or influenced the real decision like that.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
And also you don't see like coaches getting fired so
frequently like they do in the NBA, Like like I
said last week, like coaches don't like getting fired mid season,
like that's not a thing. Having three four coaches with
one disgruntled star, like that's not a thing in the
w NBA. So yeah, I don't I don't really for now, right,
(11:04):
Like That's what I'm saying, Like everything could be so
different now, and I'm like really excited about it, but
I'm also like, are we ready for this, this dramatic change,
because I mean you can see it, like the way
the coverages, the fans, the conversation surrounding the league, like
everything is just magnified.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
And I just want.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Us as a league, as as players to be prepared
for all of that because with you know, money and
influence and attention like that comes with a lot of
other stuff that might catch some people off guard, But
I mean, we're.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
All we're all grown, so I don't think it's going
to be that.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
I'm also curious with the new CBA if or I
just see some correlation here between owners front offices making
these sort of decisions and not necessarily consoling their players,
which is not just what I've heard from you, but
a basis of what I've been hearing, and giving you
(12:02):
guys that revenue share slash more money would put them
in a position to where they do have to answer
to you more as players because you're you're investing, you're
being invested in more as part of the league. And
if you're investing a certain share of your revenue and
you're a star player just alone, not even mentioning the
(12:22):
rest of the roster, and you fire a coach they
really love, or you hire a coach they really don't
want and they're unhappy, that becomes a much bigger issue.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
So I'm curious to see with the new CBA.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
And if you guys do get that revenue share, which
I think you will and.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
I'm hoping you do that. If that happens.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yeah, you know, maybe it will be more of a
coaching carousel because the star player will have more.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
Of that, I think.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
And it's so interesting that you bring up that point,
because I do feel like it is.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
A power struggle happening right now.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Like I feel like for so many years, we've just
been like a ounce, a mini tiny blip of part
of the WNBA ecosystem, which is crazy because the WNBA
wouldn't exist with all the players that play in it.
And we've just been like just buried under all of
this money and you lose money, and no one wants
(13:12):
to see y'all. No one wants to watch y'all. Y'all
aren't marketable, y'all aren't this, y'all aren't that. And finally
here we are all of those things being disproven one
by one, and the league is still like, no, we
still want y'all to be at this tiny percentage of everything,
and it's extremely frustrating because.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
They're not budgeting on it. They're really not.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
And it's every meeting that we have with the players
Association and every meeting that we have, more players are
hopping on because I think it like it's the deadline
is in four days, so like we're not getting to
an agreement in four days. But more players are like,
oh this, yeah, this might really like this is not good,
(13:54):
And I think the momentum is in our favor. I
think we are building more leverage. I think that we're
all in a united front. And I remember our last
CBA negotiations was like it was not like this, So
I mean it's good for us because I think we
do have a lot of people on our side, a
lot of people supporting us. A lot of people are
now really are not being as dense about it, like
(14:15):
you still have like the random trolls who are like.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
Your league doesn't make any money, dah da da dah.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
But I really do feel like now people are really
when you get into the numbers and all the money
that is about to be inserted into the league with that,
especially with the media rights deal, I think now that
people are now really just thinking about that in totality.
I think more people are starting to understand like, oh yeah, no,
they're being really underpaid. And again we're not trying to
get paid these same amounts of money. It's percentages, guys,
(14:43):
piece of the pie, Like that's all we want, and
I think.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
They're budget a little bit, but like that revenue.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Sharing, like it's just they're not coming up off that,
and it's been extremely It's so crazy.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
And the funny thing is it's not a salary number
that you guys are asking for, where it's like I
want to get paid this, I want to get paid
what NBA players are getting paid.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
It's a revenue share. It's a percentage, which I.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Find interesting because I always hear WNBA players reiterating that
you guys don't want to get paid exactly what they're
getting paid. You want to get paid your fair share,
just like they're getting paid their fair share. So why
if it's possible with the NBA, with the guys to
give them the percentage that they deserve with the WNBA,
what's the excuse?
Speaker 5 (15:29):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Like because the percentage is smaller, because that doesn't really
apply because the percentage, So no matter what the number is,
the percentage, you know what I'm saying, It correlates like
if our if our revenue smaller, our percentage.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Will be smaller.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
So does that what are they trying to say? Y'all
are worth less than them? And a percentage that's exactly
what they're saying. That's exactly what they're saying.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
And I mean, I think our makeup financially is definitely
a little bit is way more complex than the NBA
because you know, we have owners. We have owners like
you know, Vegas and New York have like their owners,
and we have like ownership groups, and you still have
teams that are owned by the NBA owners. So it's
like there's so many different, like different owners with different
(16:09):
mentalities about their team that they own and their expectations
of the team that they're there that they own. And
I feel that's where the issue really is. Like we
always see like everyone is just putting their fingers, oh Kathy,
this Kathy, that Kathy that it's the owners of the teams.
That's who she's talking to. That's who she is the
figurehead for, is the owners. So you know, our owners,
(16:31):
they I mean they they have told us, you know,
and as many words as they could that you know,
we're we're we're advocating for you guys at these conversations,
like they didn't flat out say, oh, we're asking for this,
this this, but they told us like yeah, no, we
are on the right side of this. When it comes
to ownership, and I believe them and our Seattle Storm owners,
(16:52):
I mean, they're they're amazing, they're great, But then you
probably have like some other owners where are like, no,
I'm not trying to like, this is not like this
is my little tax rite off, this is my little whatever,
this is my little I don't care about this.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
What do you own? Then? What do you want to team? Exactly?
Speaker 3 (17:05):
So I just feel like I wish I could be
a fly on the wall in these meetings with the
owners and to see like what they're talking about, where
their disagreements are, where their issues are with the revenue sharing,
Like I would love to know what those conversations are like,
because I feel like from what you know owners, the
Vegas owners are saying what the Liberty owners do and
(17:27):
say our owners do and say, you know, they feel
very strongly about advocating for the players investing in their players.
So I'm like, so obviously there's some owners out there
that are that feel the opposite, and.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
I want to know which owners they are.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
But we and we'll never never in public, I'm never
going to know.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
We only hear from the ones, so we only hear
from like a Mark Davis.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
It's like, oh yeah, I'll make her the highest mad
coach of the w tomorrow or whatever.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Like we only hear from those coaches, but speak or
from those owners speaking of coaches.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
So let's move on to we just.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Mentioned Sandy getting fired and have such a shock from
the Liberty while she is moving on to start her
own thing in Toronto, which is sick. She's going to
be the head coach of the Toronto Tempo LEXI what
is your reaction to that?
Speaker 3 (18:13):
I was honestly a little surprised because I did feel
like the league was, you.
Speaker 5 (18:20):
Know, kind of done.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
I don't like saying recycling because that sounds kind of rude,
but I felt like, you know, they were just trying
to continue to bring new faces into the league. But
she's a proven winner WNBA champion, She's the head coach
of the Australian national team that always does really well
in the Olympics and all of their events overseas. So
I think, I mean, it's a good fit, especially in Toronto.
(18:41):
I think we're going to see another you know, Valkyrie's
situation as far as foreign talent coming from Europe coming,
Maybe she'll bring some more of her Australian players over
because there's a lot of really good basketball players in
Australia that I'm sure none of you guys know anything about.
So I'm excited to see what she does with that team.
I think she has had her fair share of superstars.
(19:05):
You know, she's been very blessed with her rosters throughout
her WVa coaching career. You know, she got to coach Diana,
she got to coach BG, she got to coach Laurna
Jackson in Australia. In here, she got to coach Stewie
JJ Sabrina. Like she's coach the best of the best.
So I wonder if she's gonna continue to lean on
that what she knows, you know, having these mega stars
(19:28):
in the w and you know, continuing to be successful,
or she's gonna go, you know, all in on new
faces like the Valkyries did. So it's gonna be really
interesting to see what she does with that roster. I'm
really excited for the Toronto team. I'm really excited to
play in Toronto. I'm excited to maybe Drake pull up
to a game. I was just a say I would
(19:49):
love that. But I think she's gonna do you.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Already know Drake? I know, I can promise you, Drake.
Is that a pull up to that?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Are you?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
That's the those Drake.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
First of all, he hasn't even come to any since
Skyler first got in the league.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
We only really see Drake and the on the men's
side at Raptors games.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Like since old Drake, since take care of Drake, we
don't really see him out their sporting events.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
We don't really see him at all. I know this,
we're not talking about Drake right now, but like now
that I'm thinking about it, we don't really see.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Him at all ever anymore.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
But when when we do see him, it's.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
A Raptors game, being I'm.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Not I could so see him going to a tempo
game that sounds like him.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
If he doesn't, I'll be really disappointing me too. And
it takes a lot for me to be disappointed in.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Drake, a lot, a lot, a lot a lot.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
But if he doesn't, personal if he doesn't show up
to one tempo game, I'm gonna have beef.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
We're gonna have beef.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Yeah, No, I'm sure he will.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
He wanted he wanted to start a w NBA team
and Toronto. Like before, people were it.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
Was cool to be talking about the w So hopefully
he does us Drake apologists.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
But I do think my reaction for Sandy is it
will be interesting to see the criticism of her.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
It's so funny how I always.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Get to be a bad cop because I'm not on
the w So it.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
Will be interesting to see. The fan reaction to her
firing was very much.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Ooh shocking, But also what can she do when she's
not coaching stars like the ones you just mentioned, And
so this feels to me like a bit of a
hail Mary in a sense and.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
A bit of a Okay, let's see what you can do.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Like you said you thought you were done with the recycling,
this kind of feels like, if you mess this up,
this is kind of w BA. Yeah, So I would
be interested to see she has an opportunity to get
a lot of those stars out there to Toronto, especially
with it being a new team team and the drake
of it all and everything. We were just saying, it'll
(22:03):
be a great franchise with a lot of fans. You
have a whole country behind you, Yeah, and they love
women's basketball there.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
I don't know. If you remember when the w did
the game that were you playing that I was.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
I was in attendance.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Yes, yeah, okay, you.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Know I could have swarm.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
I remember talking about this one.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Yeah. No, I played. When I was on the Sparks.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
We had a preseason game, and then this past year
during this we had a regular season game.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
So I've been to both.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
I've been to two WNBA Canada games and they were
both super fun packed arena, very exciting. So I think
Toronto is gonna be super lit.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I don't know. Valkyrie said the set the bar very
high for expansion team fandom.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
I think Toronto. I think it's a whole country with
only one team.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
That is true.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
But again, like the Valkyrie, they they said this that
bars high, that bars high.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
Honey.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
The other day I peeped into the World Series.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Don't worry, ladies, I know this. This is relevant.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
This is relevant my ww fans. So the other day
I peeked into a World Series game. Baseball to Toronto
is in it, and I was like, oh my god,
the fans were they stood up?
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Do you don't know how baseball game is?
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Even the people in the front row even the people
in the front row right behind the picture were standing up.
They did not sit down the whole they went time
and yeah they won. And my boyfriend was like, it's
because they have a whole country behind them, like they
really like they the Toronto Blue Jays fans, like they
do not play.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
It's gonna be the same thing.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
I'm telling you.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Yeah, Okay, I'm with you. Then Okay, shout out to
the Toronto Tempo. Sandy, I wish you're the best girl,
because you are. She is a great she's a good coach.
But I do think this season tested her abilities a
bit as far as is being able to coach without
her megastars.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
So I'm very interested to see if she continues.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
To lean into her megastar approach or if she's like,
you know, I'm a teacher.
Speaker 5 (24:10):
I'm gonna show y'all I can coach.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Okay, so we're gonna get some maybe one megastar or
maybe a bunch of regular stars and soames, well.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
I'll tell you one thing.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
I'll tell you one thing if there was a coach
and again something I can tell like again, if there
was a coach based on being on social that y'all
wanted to go.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
It was in Dallas. I mean, I felt so bad
for him. The memes were crazy.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
The fan was nicey, it was nice. I've never seen
that before.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
And I know, and I know Chris because he was
with me in Connecticut and he was with me in
LA for a little bit.
Speaker 5 (24:52):
He's such a sweet man.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Oh and I know, like that was so hard for him,
Like he's literally the sweetest man. But again it made
me sad. And I'm like, it's okay, Like, yeah, he
was he a good coach. Not really, that's fine. That
was very obvious, but like the things that people were saying,
how everyone was acting like it was so crazy, like
it was it was nuts. And I actually was very
(25:16):
surprised that he got fired. I really was very shocked
that he got fired. But like, there wasn't very many
There wasn't very many reasons why he shouldn't.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
Have gotten fired. But first year, why drag it on? Yeah,
I know, it was just yeah, it was he got.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
The Darwin Ham treatment.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
You said, you've never seen that before, not in the
W but yes, they I'm telling you, y'all getting into
the man.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
I'm like, and yeah, Chris, I don't know if.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
He'll see another I don't even know if he'll want
to coach be a head coach at the W ever,
again like I wouldn't either, but I think that I
was again very shocked that they pulled the pluck that quickly,
considering how young that's team was and they were dealing
with injuries and just a.
Speaker 5 (26:02):
Lot of moving pieces.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
I was just like, this season wrapped this season up
for them, because that was the trades, the getting Melyssa INDIJ,
Losingnlyssa INDJ five minutes later, like and then it was
just like as the season continued, it was just like
adding insult to injury, like Djene gets to Minnesota and
(26:25):
it starts ballid. Melyssa gets to Vegas starts balling, or
she was an Indian and she was a wins a
championship and then everyone looking at Dallas like what are
y'all doing over there?
Speaker 1 (26:36):
So it doesn't help that they had the Pagebackers microscope
on them because her fans don't play all and they're
very used to seeing her win and thrive, and now
that she wasn't thriving, but they're using her win.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
She's probably lost more games this summer than in her
entire life, right.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
So I don't I don't think. I don't think the.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Pagebackers army was ready for that. Oh no, like there
were people. They have some fans that were not trying
to see them lose, which obviously we talk about this
all the time. The team with the number one pick
is never going to be the best team in the league.
I mean, Caitlin Clark was on some wizardy wizardry other stuff.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
But it's very rare that they go.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
To the playoffs like they got the number one pick
because they were back, you know.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
But it was unfortunate.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
But I will say, speaking of Page, Jose Fernandez, he he's.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Friends with Gino. Which tampering is there such say.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
His coach tampering? Probably? I mean, I know Gino was
up in stores.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Like my poor Page we did y'all are not doing
my girl like this any longer. I'm sending in my
recommendation for a coach, and you're gonna hire them.
Speaker 5 (27:49):
That's how that that's how that coach insurge went.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Gino wrote a letter to the Dallas Wings and he said,
here's his resume, Here's who's gonna coach Page. Here's what's
going to make Dallas great. Here you go and hire him.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
And the resume said Gino Arima's homeboy. And that's all I.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Needed to know because one thing about you know he
does he does not play about Page.
Speaker 5 (28:11):
He does not play about Page.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
And the chance that uh Fudd could end up in
Dallas depending on how the lottery goes, how her season goes, like,
we might have a little Yukon link up down in Dallas.
Down in Dallas, I mean, low key, every team, every
team got like a mini Yukon linkup. It's actually insane.
If you go down the rosters, every team has like
(28:34):
two three Ukon players on it minimum, right, Like that's crazy.
If you come from Yukon, you're gonna be You're gonna
meet up with another Husky on your team at some
point in your life. But I think that that was
a great hire. I think his coaching style will translate
well to Pages playing style again, blank slate for the
(28:58):
most part on that team when it comes to veterans.
But I hope that they keep that young group together.
Who's a Page James Quinnerly Louisa Luisa, Yes, I'm Luisa.
I'm not say Page Paige. James and Luisa, Like, I
(29:18):
think those four, despite their record, had a really really
solid year as rookies, So I hope that they keep
those four or protect those four. We even get into that, like, okay, guys,
So yeah, you have the free agents, right, and then
the teams choose to protect or not protect players from
the expansion Draft. So yeah, you might think that your
(29:40):
favorite players that are still on their rookie contracts are
locked in to the team that they're on, but if
they don't get protected by their team, they could get
scooped up by one of the new teams. So exactly, exactly,
So I think that it's going to be interesting hand
picking his players. He's he coached at USF South Florida, guys,
(30:02):
if you don't know, and he was like one of
the first college coaches to start bringing in European players.
And I remember because I played against USF pat Courney
Williams with the USF and I played against Courtney Williams
in college, and I USF was always real solid, but
they always had like a few European players that were
(30:23):
on the roster and really really good and always found
a lot of success at USF. So he was definitely
one of the first coaches to recruit overseas, so I
think he's going to probably do the same thing coming
here again. I think, guys, the European players are coming.
You know, they've taken over the NBA. I don't know
(30:44):
if they'll take over the WNBA, but I think we're
going to be seeing an influx of European players, especially
if these salaries go up.
Speaker 5 (30:52):
That's been one of the biggest reasons why.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
They don't come over here is because they don't make
You don't make enough money, especially as a rookie like
them leaving their home for that many years, missing out
on overseas money to make the low key contracts like
none of them are really trying to do that. So
I think when our salaries go up, we're going to
(31:14):
see like an enormous influx of European players, which makes
me excited.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
Like I said, Duck Smoke, I'm ready for the Euros.
I'm ready for them. We ready for y'all. It's exciting.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
It's really going to make the WNBA global sport. I
think that's our next step, like becoming more global.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
That's how the NBA is.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
That's a huge that's a huge opportunity for the w
viewership wise as well because of that market for women's
basketball overseas, that tapping into those overseas fans would be
really incredible. My question about Jose Fernandez is do you
believe that college coaches their coaching style translates well into
(31:56):
the pros Because I know a lot of fans want
to see those those icons from college, like a Gena
or a Dawn coach. Professionally, how do you think that
their abilities as far as being a college coach translates
to being in the a system like OVERNBA.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
I'm trying to think because Kurt coached in college before
he came to the pros, and I think it really
depends on the person.
Speaker 5 (32:18):
I think it depends on the coach.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
I think the biggest difference between college and pros is
that you are coaching grown adults and not kids at
school and on a schedule, and you can't tell everybody
what to do all the time, and you do have
to be careful how you speak to this player and
how you speak to that player, because we're professionals, we're
all adults, and you don't just simply fall in line.
Speaker 5 (32:37):
Like you do in college.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
I've always thought that's been the biggest adjustment for college
coaches because basketball is basketball, and I think his style
of play is very creative, it's fast, it's innovative. I
think X's and O's wise, he's going to be fine.
But I think always it's just the communication and you know,
building trust and all that kind of stuff with a
(33:00):
bunch of grown ass people is not easy.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
In any any job, that's not easy.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
So I always think that's like the hardest part from
a college coach coming from you know, their universities where
they basically I mean, like I said, they're going to
be able to He's going to be able to like
handpick you know, some of the players that he brings.
So it is going to be a little bit similar
to college like when you're out recruiting and all that
kind of stuff. So I think that will benefit him
as well as all the other new coaches that get
(33:25):
to basically him pick their teams now.
Speaker 5 (33:27):
But I think he's going to be fine.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
And then yeah, you mentioned his relationship he has with Gino,
So I think that, you know, I think he's probably
already connected with Page and you know, they're already probably
cooking some stuff up for next season. So I'm I mean,
I'm excited for Paige because we all want to see
Paige win. So watching her this season was definitely hard
for her fans, I'm sure, but it was hard for
you know, anybody who loves watching good basketball because she's
(33:50):
such a good player. So I hope that this is
a good move for her sake because she deserves a
lot of success in the W and the W is
better when Paige is hop and on TV, and you know,
everyone loves watching her play. So I'm excited for I'm
excited for Dallas, I'm excited for Page.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
So yeah, I think we'll be good.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
The last one we're going to talk about is uh
the Portland fire.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Portland fire, they've been very quiet. They were very quiet
all summer. I was like a little concerned. I'm like,
is prob let's not gonna have a theme like what
is happening? And then boom, they just started making a
little bit of noise.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
What are your thoughts on their new hire.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
So my dad actually was familiar with with Alex Sarama. Sarama,
I don't know, I have to get these pronunciations down.
But he also is coming from the NBA, which I
think is really great for us because of, you know,
the modern, fast paced play that we are heading towards,
and he's really big with analytics.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
I feel like.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
He is familiar with their GM and I think that
that higher. You know, a lot of people were like,
what who is this guy? He's in skill development?
Speaker 5 (35:19):
Da da da.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Like I said, we are very behind when it comes
to skill development. So I think when it comes to
building an organization and a franchise from the ground up,
you can always lay your foundation on skill development. And
I think that's something that's going to be really interesting
about the Portland team, is how he's going to take
his thoughts and the way he thinks the game and
(35:43):
what he learned from being around the NBA, and how
he's going to infuse it into this new team. Because
it's a brand new team, they have no culture, they
have no anything. It's all on him, so there's no
there's really no like, no one can have any type
of critique for it. It's like there's nothing, nothing existed
before he got there. So I'm really interested to see
with someone that is skill development and analytic focused, hyper focused,
(36:08):
how they can transition into being a head coach and
with the new team in a new city with all
the new stuff. So I think it's going to be
really exciting. I've never been to Portland before, so excited
to explore a new city, even though I heard it's
just like Seattle, just.
Speaker 5 (36:29):
Colder.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Yeah, I've never been to Seattle, but I would assume
it's pretty similar. I've been up there. But I will
say the one thing I was going to bring up
with all these these coaching hires, just to kind of
wrap this all up in a pretty little bow, is
it's interesting how when you become a head coach, a
lot of people don't know that you are building a
whole new system, like you're kind of the headhun show
(36:54):
of the organization, outside of the front office ownership type
of standpoint, like fate player facing, you're creating that you're
bringing in your staff, You're bringing in a whole group.
So it's interesting to see, especially with these coaches that
are inheriting programs that don't exist Philly, Detroit, Toronto, the Valkyries,
(37:16):
like all these new teams coming in, how these coaches
are going to create a culture, because that is something
that a coach that's going to coach somewhere that's already
a team like the Wings.
Speaker 4 (37:26):
Or the Liberty.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Those places already have fan bases, they already have culture.
Whereas the Valkyries, we saw them completely six women created
that there. I can't remember what they called their home
court advantage, like they had a special name for.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
That, yes, yes, whatever, Like all that is new, so
very interesting, and I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
I'm excited too, And I feel like with these new
expansion teams, like I can't believe how many teams are
going to have, Like I never thought that I would
be a part of the WNBA with all of these
new teams and all of these cities, with all of
the support, Like every day, I'm always so amazed at
what the WBA has grown into over the last few years.
(38:07):
I think that every organization needs to really lock in
and focus on what their identity is going to be,
what their culture is going to be, how they're going
to engage with their fans, how they're going to like
everything is just bigger now. Everything needs to be more thoughtful,
Everything needs to be more.
Speaker 5 (38:29):
Collaborative from the top down.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
I again, already you already know how I feel about
some of the front offices in this league. I think
that now is the time where these front offices have
to take their product. The players that they're bringing in,
the contracts that they're giving way more serious than what
they had in the past. You know, you're building teams
(38:53):
to win championships. Winning teams bring in more money, you
get more fans. Like this is unfortunately, you know, turning
into a big, humongous business, and you know that is
good for us obviously, but it's still a sport that
we all love and grew up playing. And when it
becomes you know, big business, like a lot of things change,
(39:15):
but you have to still try and keep the main thing,
the main thing, which is winning basketball games. So I
do feel like with these new hires and we'll see
with you know, how they fill their staffs. I've always
thought that former players are better assistants in my opinion,
and I know a lot of people are, like a
lot more former players head coaches, Like I think they
are good head coaches as well. But when you're the
(39:38):
head coach, like you don't have the time to pour
into every single player all the time, like you do
have a little bit of time, like you make time
for anything that you want to make time for but
there's so many responsibilities that the head coach has that's
outside of just coaching us. That's why these assistants these
benches are so important. I feel like the way that
(40:02):
the WNBA players are on these benches has been like
game changing. I feel like I think that's why Indiana
even was able to do the push that they were
able to have two former players on their bench. Like,
the best relationships I've always had growing up were with
my assistant coaches. Like not saying I didn't have a
(40:24):
good relationship my head coach, but the coaches that I
could talk to, the coaches that you watch film with,
the coaches you get in the gym with those, those
are the assistants. The best assistant coaching staff I had
was at Duke, Like those are my people, Like.
Speaker 5 (40:37):
They changed my life.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
I feel like when I was at Duke, the assistant
I mean, my head coach was amazing coach p like
love her down. But the relationship I've built with the
assistants like literally changed my life. And I feel like
that gets overlooked when people are like, why are more.
Speaker 5 (40:50):
Former players being head coaches?
Speaker 3 (40:52):
They absolutely should be at some point, but I think
the relationship part, the development part, their experiences is whole value,
even when they're assistants or player development or whatever you know,
these former players are.
Speaker 5 (41:06):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Having them around but not having all the pressure and
criticism of being a head coach, I think that is
way better. But again, like a briand January, like I
would really I don't know if she's in the running
for the Liberty job, but if there is a former
player that is ready to be a head coach, I
would say it is Brian January. She coached with US
at AU. She was amazing, She's incredible. She was a
(41:28):
great player an even better person. So you know, if
there is a former player her or Christy Tolliver, you
know I was able to play with Christy in LA
and that you know, she's my favorite player growing up,
so that was just a dream come true for me.
So I mean, I think between KT and Brian like
those would be the two former players that I would
(41:49):
love to see become head coaches in the very very
near future. But I think what they're doing on these
benches is so valuable, and I think that they get
overlooked a little bit because they're just assistants. But I
think you know, the league is full of former players
on these benches and I think they do a really
good job.
Speaker 5 (42:05):
So I think that's really important.
Speaker 3 (42:07):
You know, when these coaches and these organizations are feeling
their staff if they want to, you know, give back
to the former players and have them involved. And you know,
we're trying with the CBA to you know, take care
of our retired players and former players. I think that
is a way that the league can do it outside
of just CBA stuff and pension and retirement and blah
blah blah blah. Allowing them to have a space to
(42:28):
give back to us poor back into the game.
Speaker 5 (42:30):
And get paid for it.
Speaker 3 (42:31):
You know, that's always that's always a bonus doing something
you love and getting back.
Speaker 5 (42:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
I really love what you said about the assistant coaches
because it's so true. I've been a victim to that
as well, like wondering why there were less former players coaching.
But it makes so much sense because even in my
experience playing high school sports, I look back and I'm like,
that makes a really good point and that it makes
a lot of sense because your head coach is kind
of like the principal at school. Where's your assistant coaches?
(42:58):
Are your teachers who you're actually you can like talk
about your coach with. Then you can be like, oh man,
the coach can be bad cop and they can be
good cop, and you can kind of all.
Speaker 4 (43:06):
Everybody has a role.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Yeah, I mean, same thing what we keep saying, like
we want we want our faves to be the commissioner.
Speaker 5 (43:12):
You know, No, you know you don't. You want your
favors to be a head coach.
Speaker 1 (43:16):
No, you don't, And you need to hate your head
coach sometimes sometimes I'm sorry, And that's why I don't
want to be a coach.
Speaker 4 (43:24):
I cannot imagine waking up every day and being like.
Speaker 5 (43:27):
They hate me today. I gotta make them run today,
like I just I've never wanted that for myself.
Speaker 4 (43:34):
I'll love you when they're popping champagne in the locker room.
Speaker 5 (43:37):
After the champion.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
Speaking of championships, this is how we're gonna close out
the show. Out of all of these new expansion teams,
which team do you think will win a championship?
Speaker 5 (43:48):
First? If if they do.
Speaker 4 (43:52):
Okay, hard to say because.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
I don't know who's coaching all of them or who's
playing on all of them.
Speaker 4 (43:58):
I literally only know who's playing for that.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
If you can pick one team that's going to when
just based on just off vibes, the cities based.
Speaker 1 (44:07):
Off of vibes. I okay, this is the first thing
that popped on I had. I want to say, either
Toronto or.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
Philly, Philly, what was the last? Oh, the Eagles, I'm
like one of the last. If Philly even when that's something.
Speaker 5 (44:24):
A second ago, I'm going Valkyries. I'm going Valkyries. So yeah,
don't prove me wrong. Don't prove me wrong.
Speaker 4 (44:35):
When when are we When is Philly going to be
a team?
Speaker 1 (44:38):
Hold on?
Speaker 4 (44:38):
Hold on twenty twenty twenty thirty?
Speaker 3 (44:41):
Girl? Oh oh yeah, Eve, when it's twenty twenty eight?
I mean no, because I mean five, it's five years.
I mean the Aces might win two more, you know,
I don't know what years the Joy twenty twenty nine.
Speaker 4 (45:01):
Okay, yeah, I never mind. If I'll say to Troy
just just despite some people. But but I'm gonna say.
Speaker 5 (45:06):
Toronto, Toronto. Okay.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
So we're gonna we're gonna look back on this in
a few years when Canada, Canada, this is for you,
Oh my gosh. Okay, So we want new teams winning championships.
We would love new franchises to win championships, but we
want nothing but success for the WNBA as a whole.
(45:30):
So yeah, if you guys yea and successful, Lexi guys,
please you know what next season?
Speaker 5 (45:40):
Thirty first next season.
Speaker 3 (45:41):
The first thing that we're accomplishing is getting my one
thousand points. We are like two busts away, like to
literally two baskets away. Yeah from a thousand first game,
first game.
Speaker 5 (45:54):
I fucking oh shit. We'll see, we'll see, we'll see.
Speaker 3 (45:58):
But if y'all enjoyed this breakdown, don't forget to subscribe
tune into our videos weekly.
Speaker 5 (46:04):
This has been another episode of Full Circle Podcast. We
will see y'all next week.
Speaker 4 (46:09):
Bye. Thanks for listening to Full Circle.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
We'll be back next week with more basketball for the girls,
by the girls.
Speaker 4 (46:16):
We want to hear from you.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
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 Mariah Rose. Our executive producer
is Jesse Katz. Our supervising producer is Grace Fused. Our
producer is Zoe Danklab. Listen 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
(46:39):
and start listening.
Full Circle is an iheartwoman's sports production in 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 good, y'all, Welcome back to another episode of the
Full Circle Podcast. My name is Mariah Rose and I'm
here with none other than the Birthday bat is Lexi Heger.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Is this my birthday?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
I feel like not really a real adult because I
was like, we have to do this today.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Like I've had a job. I'd be like, can I
stay home? It's my birthday.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
I just want to be with myself and enjoy my birthday.
But that's not how life works. So here we are
recording on this beautiful Monday for you guys on my birthday.
I'm thirty one.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Oh my gosh, girl, and a beautiful thing to be black. Wow,
you look like you're in your twenties.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
A man yesterday told me that he asked me if
I was an nineteen, which I was like, all about that.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
No, you could pass.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
If you throw on your duke uniform right now, you
could pass.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
And I'm not pleasing. I appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
But yeah, today to give you a little bit of
a hot topic as a play has been about the
coaching and the WNBA. So today we're just gonna we're
really the whole episode. What's going on with the coaches
in the w the new hires. Don't introduce them to
y'all if you are not familiar with some of the
new coaches that.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Have been hired. There's still one vacancy for the New
York Liberty. They have yet to hire a head coach,
but we'll get into that a little bit later.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
So really want to start, well, I guess we should Okay,
before we dive in, I think we should get into
your reaction to your new coach in Seattle, because when
I saw that, I wanted to talk to you about it.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
But how are you feeling? What do you think is
going to be different? And introduce us to.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
So I had I had no idea who they were
going to hire. So before we start, like, I had
no input in this, I had no conversation. All I
knew is that they were going to make a hire
before the end of the month, which is what they did.
She was an assistant with the.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Liberty, and prior to that, she was on the Memphis
Grizzlies coaching stuff, and for me, that makes me excited
because y'all know, I'm like an NBA junkie, and I
think as far as coaching and analytics and player development,
I think the NBA is way ahead of us, unfortunately
because they just have more resources than we've ever had
(02:40):
and we're getting there.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
But the fact that we're now attracting NBA coaches to
the w I think that's really good for us. So
I haven't had a chance to talk to her yet,
but our GM she reached out to me when the
news broke and she said that she's really excited for
me to speak with her and meet her eventually. Yeah, so,
(03:02):
like I don't really know much about her as far
as like who she is personally, but like her resume
is super impressive.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
She was a head coach at MIT.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
So hopefully you know, she can appreciate the fact that
I went to the school like Duke because she.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Was at MIT. Not saying that we're at MIT's level.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
But you can appreciate like the education, you know, background
between the both of us.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Smart girls.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
So I'm really excited. Also excited because.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
It is a woman, a woman of color, so you
know that's also been a really big topic of conversation.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Around the W is why we don't have, you know,
more women of color in head coaching positions.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So the fact that we were able to hire one
is definitely super special. Yeah, sorry, y'all, we had some
audio issues, so that's why I sounded probably like a whisper.
Speaker 5 (03:50):
Did it sound like Mariah Damn? Near?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I was so yeah, sorry guys, but yeah, where we hire,
very excited And yeah, again, it's very interesting hiring a
coach when any of these coaches, when you don't really
know who's going to be on your team. That goes
for like all of the new coaches outside of Dallas,
(04:14):
who would probably will keep that young group together hopefully
I would like them to, but you know it's on
my team. Outside of Dallas, every team that hired a
new coach is either an expansion team or just has
a team full of restricted free agents. So I think
it's going to be cool seeing these new coaches come in.
Speaker 5 (04:34):
Basically they get to build a team like that's not
a thing.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Usually when you get hired, you have to like inherit
what you got and deal with what you got, and
then you make the changes like over time, they get
to come into these head coaching positions with like a
blank slate. And that's like I said last week about
the everybody being a free agent like that, that's never
happened before. I keep telling y'all that WNBA is like
(04:58):
hard resetting right now. If I was, this would be
like the optimal time to become a head coach for me.
I get to hand pick my team top to bottom.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yet that's really that's really good, and especially because we
have like from research, like you guys are in the
middle of a mini rebuild coming off of last season
and going into next season. But every team is.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Of a mini rebuild right now, so it really depends,
like yeah, it really depends on what direction teams want
to go.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
I also want to add that she she's the first
Indian Indian American female head coach in the w NBA.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
So I knew what you were saying, that she's a
woman color. I was like, there's something historic about that,
but that is what that is.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
So congratulation.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
I'm so excited, and I also I'm really excited who
she's going to bring in as her staff. Honestly, and
I'm saying this like I do want to be in
Seattle guys like I love my teammates, like I love
playing with dom Like dom is the future of the
status story, Like that's just point blank period.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
Domin is the future.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
And I really really enjoyed playing basketball with Dominique, So
if it was up to me, like that's where I
want to be. I want to be there for her growth.
I want to help her become super dominant in the W.
So I am speaking about this coach and this coaching
staff from a perspective of me possibly being in Seattle,
Like I'm not going to act like I'm like, oh,
I could be anywhere, Like I know where I want
(06:23):
to be, And sometimes you just kinda it's hard to
prepare for every off season.
Speaker 5 (06:28):
Like not knowing.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
So you know, I'm just gonna prepare like I'll be
in Seattle and be really excited about that hire. But
I have no idea what direction she's going to go
in as far as her staff, play development, assistant coaches,
all of these things.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
So I think that.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
For me, I really enjoy playing with younger players as well,
and I do. Sometimes I feel like I get traded
like I'm a younger player because just I've just been
in and out and like I haven't really had a
moment to be like one of those like big name vets.
So I kind of get grouped with like the young players,
especially this past season.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
But for me, it's great, it's it's a great experience.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I think that this season in particular tested my leadership
and my maturity as far as you know, having so
many young players looking at me like dang, Like I
know she's not happy with what's going on, but like,
how is she gonna continue to act like a pro
and be a pro? So if we're in if we're
in rebuild mode, I'm I'm I'm all in on that.
Like I think that could be a fun opportunity for me.
(07:29):
I think it could be a fun opportunity for us.
But like we said, like she has hundreds hundreds of
players to choose from, so to hand pick this this team,
so it's gonna be interesting.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Also, I read this she came from working with the
Liberty and a lot of people thought that she was
going to coach them. I'm curious.
Speaker 4 (07:53):
I don't understand what's going on with that coaching job.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
I don't know if you really think of have any
opinions or thoughts, but that it's crazy to me.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
I think, I mean, I think every team it's going
to be interesting to see what the direction they go in.
But because they've won just two years ago, Like, are
they going to try and keep that group together and
try one another one or is everyone going to go
their separate ways and try and win on their own.
And again, I had no input into this coaching higher.
(08:24):
I wonder if any of the players over there are
having any type of conversations or input about who they're
bringing in.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
I mean the GM of the Liberty, he was very
adamant of putting Sabrina in situations to be successful and
efficient and back to her level of play from two
seasons ago. Not that she had a bad season this year,
but as far as like her shooting percentages, it was
something that we weren't used to seeing. And I think
(08:50):
they're going to bring in a coach that's going to
prioritize outside shooting and Sabrina, and I.
Speaker 5 (08:56):
Don't know who that's going to be. I have no idea.
Speaker 3 (08:59):
The fact that they haven't hired anybody yet is actually
kind of crazy. The fact that Sandy got fired was
also crazy. So I think everybody's just sitting waiting to
see what the liberty do.
Speaker 5 (09:09):
But I have I have no idea. I haven't heard
anything about it.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
Well before we get to this next job.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I'm curious from your perspective being a WNBA player, I
know in the NBA, typically when there's a coaching situation,
whether it's the coach got fired and they're looking for
a new coach or whatever the case may be, star
player is always star player, star player, star player?
Speaker 4 (09:44):
What do they want? Who are they looking at? Joannis
in Milwaukee?
Speaker 1 (09:49):
They're constantly being like, oh, he's like gunstantly switching coaches
and he's handpicking this guy and he doesn't like that guy.
Speaker 4 (09:55):
Is that similar in the W or the gms?
Speaker 1 (09:58):
The front office asking their star, Hey, what do you
think based on what you now?
Speaker 3 (10:03):
I honestly, I honestly have no idea. Honestly have no idea.
I do know like in LA, and I'm not saying
that I was a star, but anyway.
Speaker 5 (10:10):
Obviously I wasn't.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
But in our exit meetings, you know, we have our conversations,
and I straight up was like, I would really appreciate
for you guys to not fire Kurt, like and I
wasn't the only player who said that and they fired
him anyway. So I think that they do value our
opinions to a point, but like as far as like
actual decision making, I wouldn't know anything about that because
(10:33):
no one has ever had really valued my opinion that much.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
To where affected or influenced the real decision like that.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
And also you don't see like coaches getting fired so
frequently like they do in the NBA, Like like I
said last week, like coaches don't like getting fired mid season,
like that's not a thing. Having three four coaches with
one disgruntled star, like that's not a thing in the
w NBA. So yeah, I don't I don't really for now, right,
(11:04):
Like That's what I'm saying, Like everything could be so
different now, and I'm like really excited about it, but
I'm also like, are we ready for this, this dramatic change,
because I mean you can see it, like the way
the coverages, the fans, the conversation surrounding the league, like
everything is just magnified.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
And I just want.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
Us as a league, as as players to be prepared
for all of that because with you know, money and
influence and attention like that comes with a lot of
other stuff that might catch some people off guard, But
I mean, we're.
Speaker 5 (11:39):
All we're all grown, so I don't think it's going
to be that.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
I'm also curious with the new CBA if or I
just see some correlation here between owners front offices making
these sort of decisions and not necessarily consoling their players,
which is not just what I've heard from you, but
a basis of what I've been hearing, and giving you
(12:02):
guys that revenue share slash more money would put them
in a position to where they do have to answer
to you more as players because you're you're investing, you're
being invested in more as part of the league. And
if you're investing a certain share of your revenue and
you're a star player just alone, not even mentioning the
(12:22):
rest of the roster, and you fire a coach they
really love, or you hire a coach they really don't
want and they're unhappy, that becomes a much bigger issue.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
So I'm curious to see with the new CBA.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
And if you guys do get that revenue share, which
I think you will and.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
I'm hoping you do that. If that happens.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Yeah, you know, maybe it will be more of a
coaching carousel because the star player will have more.
Speaker 5 (12:44):
Of that, I think.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
And it's so interesting that you bring up that point,
because I do feel like it is.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
A power struggle happening right now.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
Like I feel like for so many years, we've just
been like a ounce, a mini tiny blip of part
of the WNBA ecosystem, which is crazy because the WNBA
wouldn't exist with all the players that play in it.
And we've just been like just buried under all of
this money and you lose money, and no one wants
(13:12):
to see y'all. No one wants to watch y'all. Y'all
aren't marketable, y'all aren't this, y'all aren't that. And finally
here we are all of those things being disproven one
by one, and the league is still like, no, we
still want y'all to be at this tiny percentage of everything,
and it's extremely frustrating because.
Speaker 4 (13:31):
They're not budgeting on it. They're really not.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
And it's every meeting that we have with the players
Association and every meeting that we have, more players are
hopping on because I think it like it's the deadline
is in four days, so like we're not getting to
an agreement in four days. But more players are like,
oh this, yeah, this might really like this is not good,
(13:54):
And I think the momentum is in our favor. I
think we are building more leverage. I think that we're
all in a united front. And I remember our last
CBA negotiations was like it was not like this, So
I mean it's good for us because I think we
do have a lot of people on our side, a
lot of people supporting us. A lot of people are
now really are not being as dense about it, like
(14:15):
you still have like the random trolls who are like.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
Your league doesn't make any money, dah da da dah.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
But I really do feel like now people are really
when you get into the numbers and all the money
that is about to be inserted into the league with that,
especially with the media rights deal, I think now that
people are now really just thinking about that in totality.
I think more people are starting to understand like, oh yeah, no,
they're being really underpaid. And again we're not trying to
get paid these same amounts of money. It's percentages, guys,
(14:43):
piece of the pie, Like that's all we want, and
I think.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
They're budget a little bit, but like that revenue.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
Sharing, like it's just they're not coming up off that,
and it's been extremely It's so crazy.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
And the funny thing is it's not a salary number
that you guys are asking for, where it's like I
want to get paid this, I want to get paid
what NBA players are getting paid.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
It's a revenue share. It's a percentage, which I.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
Find interesting because I always hear WNBA players reiterating that
you guys don't want to get paid exactly what they're
getting paid. You want to get paid your fair share,
just like they're getting paid their fair share. So why
if it's possible with the NBA, with the guys to
give them the percentage that they deserve with the WNBA,
what's the excuse?
Speaker 5 (15:29):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Like because the percentage is smaller, because that doesn't really
apply because the percentage, So no matter what the number is,
the percentage, you know what I'm saying, It correlates like
if our if our revenue smaller, our percentage.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Will be smaller.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
So does that what are they trying to say? Y'all
are worth less than them? And a percentage that's exactly
what they're saying. That's exactly what they're saying.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
And I mean, I think our makeup financially is definitely
a little bit is way more complex than the NBA
because you know, we have owners. We have owners like
you know, Vegas and New York have like their owners,
and we have like ownership groups, and you still have
teams that are owned by the NBA owners. So it's
like there's so many different, like different owners with different
(16:09):
mentalities about their team that they own and their expectations
of the team that they're there that they own. And
I feel that's where the issue really is. Like we
always see like everyone is just putting their fingers, oh Kathy,
this Kathy, that Kathy that it's the owners of the teams.
That's who she's talking to. That's who she is the
figurehead for, is the owners. So you know, our owners,
(16:31):
they I mean they they have told us, you know,
and as many words as they could that you know,
we're we're we're advocating for you guys at these conversations,
like they didn't flat out say, oh, we're asking for this,
this this, but they told us like yeah, no, we
are on the right side of this. When it comes
to ownership, and I believe them and our Seattle Storm owners,
(16:52):
I mean, they're they're amazing, they're great, But then you
probably have like some other owners where are like, no,
I'm not trying to like, this is not like this
is my little tax rite off, this is my little whatever,
this is my little I don't care about this.
Speaker 5 (17:02):
What do you own? Then? What do you want to team? Exactly?
Speaker 3 (17:05):
So I just feel like I wish I could be
a fly on the wall in these meetings with the
owners and to see like what they're talking about, where
their disagreements are, where their issues are with the revenue sharing,
Like I would love to know what those conversations are like,
because I feel like from what you know owners, the
Vegas owners are saying what the Liberty owners do and
(17:27):
say our owners do and say, you know, they feel
very strongly about advocating for the players investing in their players.
So I'm like, so obviously there's some owners out there
that are that feel the opposite, and.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
I want to know which owners they are.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
But we and we'll never never in public, I'm never
going to know.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
We only hear from the ones, so we only hear
from like a Mark Davis.
Speaker 4 (17:48):
It's like, oh yeah, I'll make her the highest mad
coach of the w tomorrow or whatever.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Like we only hear from those coaches, but speak or
from those owners speaking of coaches.
Speaker 4 (17:55):
So let's move on to we just.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
Mentioned Sandy getting fired and have such a shock from
the Liberty while she is moving on to start her
own thing in Toronto, which is sick. She's going to
be the head coach of the Toronto Tempo LEXI what
is your reaction to that?
Speaker 3 (18:13):
I was honestly a little surprised because I did feel
like the league was, you.
Speaker 5 (18:20):
Know, kind of done.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
I don't like saying recycling because that sounds kind of rude,
but I felt like, you know, they were just trying
to continue to bring new faces into the league. But
she's a proven winner WNBA champion, She's the head coach
of the Australian national team that always does really well
in the Olympics and all of their events overseas. So
I think, I mean, it's a good fit, especially in Toronto.
(18:41):
I think we're going to see another you know, Valkyrie's
situation as far as foreign talent coming from Europe coming,
Maybe she'll bring some more of her Australian players over
because there's a lot of really good basketball players in
Australia that I'm sure none of you guys know anything about.
So I'm excited to see what she does with that team.
I think she has had her fair share of superstars.
(19:05):
You know, she's been very blessed with her rosters throughout
her WVa coaching career. You know, she got to coach Diana,
she got to coach BG, she got to coach Laurna
Jackson in Australia. In here, she got to coach Stewie
JJ Sabrina. Like she's coach the best of the best.
So I wonder if she's gonna continue to lean on
that what she knows, you know, having these mega stars
(19:28):
in the w and you know, continuing to be successful,
or she's gonna go, you know, all in on new
faces like the Valkyries did. So it's gonna be really
interesting to see what she does with that roster. I'm
really excited for the Toronto team. I'm really excited to
play in Toronto. I'm excited to maybe Drake pull up
to a game. I was just a say I would
(19:49):
love that. But I think she's gonna do you.
Speaker 4 (19:53):
Already know Drake? I know, I can promise you, Drake.
Is that a pull up to that?
Speaker 2 (19:58):
Are you?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
That's the those Drake.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
First of all, he hasn't even come to any since
Skyler first got in the league.
Speaker 5 (20:05):
I'm pretty sure.
Speaker 4 (20:07):
We only really see Drake and the on the men's
side at Raptors games.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Like since old Drake, since take care of Drake, we
don't really see him out their sporting events.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
We don't really see him at all. I know this,
we're not talking about Drake right now, but like now
that I'm thinking about it, we don't really see.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Him at all ever anymore.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
But when when we do see him, it's.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
A Raptors game, being I'm.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Not I could so see him going to a tempo
game that sounds like him.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
If he doesn't, I'll be really disappointing me too. And
it takes a lot for me to be disappointed in.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Drake, a lot, a lot, a lot a lot.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
But if he doesn't, personal if he doesn't show up
to one tempo game, I'm gonna have beef.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
We're gonna have beef.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
Yeah, No, I'm sure he will.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
He wanted he wanted to start a w NBA team
and Toronto. Like before, people were it.
Speaker 4 (20:57):
Was cool to be talking about the w So hopefully
he does us Drake apologists.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
But I do think my reaction for Sandy is it
will be interesting to see the criticism of her.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
It's so funny how I always.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Get to be a bad cop because I'm not on
the w So it.
Speaker 4 (21:18):
Will be interesting to see. The fan reaction to her
firing was very much.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Ooh shocking, But also what can she do when she's
not coaching stars like the ones you just mentioned, And
so this feels to me like a bit of a
hail Mary in a sense and.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
A bit of a Okay, let's see what you can do.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
Like you said you thought you were done with the recycling,
this kind of feels like, if you mess this up,
this is kind of w BA. Yeah, So I would
be interested to see she has an opportunity to get
a lot of those stars out there to Toronto, especially
with it being a new team team and the drake
of it all and everything. We were just saying, it'll
(22:03):
be a great franchise with a lot of fans. You
have a whole country behind you, Yeah, and they love
women's basketball there.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
I don't know. If you remember when the w did
the game that were you playing that I was.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
I was in attendance.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Yes, yeah, okay, you.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Know I could have swarm.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
I remember talking about this one.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
Yeah. No, I played. When I was on the Sparks.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
We had a preseason game, and then this past year
during this we had a regular season game.
Speaker 5 (22:29):
So I've been to both.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
I've been to two WNBA Canada games and they were
both super fun packed arena, very exciting. So I think
Toronto is gonna be super lit.
Speaker 5 (22:42):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I don't know. Valkyrie said the set the bar very
high for expansion team fandom.
Speaker 4 (22:48):
I think Toronto. I think it's a whole country with
only one team.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
That is true.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
But again, like the Valkyrie, they they said this that
bars high, that bars high.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
Honey.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
The other day I peeped into the World Series.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Don't worry, ladies, I know this. This is relevant.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
This is relevant my ww fans. So the other day
I peeked into a World Series game. Baseball to Toronto
is in it, and I was like, oh my god,
the fans were they stood up?
Speaker 4 (23:24):
Do you don't know how baseball game is?
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Even the people in the front row even the people
in the front row right behind the picture were standing up.
They did not sit down the whole they went time
and yeah they won. And my boyfriend was like, it's
because they have a whole country behind them, like they
really like they the Toronto Blue Jays fans, like they
do not play.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
It's gonna be the same thing.
Speaker 5 (23:45):
I'm telling you.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Yeah, Okay, I'm with you. Then Okay, shout out to
the Toronto Tempo. Sandy, I wish you're the best girl,
because you are. She is a great she's a good coach.
But I do think this season tested her abilities a
bit as far as is being able to coach without
her megastars.
Speaker 5 (24:02):
So I'm very interested to see if she continues.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
To lean into her megastar approach or if she's like,
you know, I'm a teacher.
Speaker 5 (24:10):
I'm gonna show y'all I can coach.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
Okay, so we're gonna get some maybe one megastar or
maybe a bunch of regular stars and soames, well.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
I'll tell you one thing.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
I'll tell you one thing if there was a coach
and again something I can tell like again, if there
was a coach based on being on social that y'all
wanted to go.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
It was in Dallas. I mean, I felt so bad
for him. The memes were crazy.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
The fan was nicey, it was nice. I've never seen
that before.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
And I know, and I know Chris because he was
with me in Connecticut and he was with me in
LA for a little bit.
Speaker 5 (24:52):
He's such a sweet man.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Oh and I know, like that was so hard for him,
Like he's literally the sweetest man. But again it made
me sad. And I'm like, it's okay, Like, yeah, he
was he a good coach. Not really, that's fine. That
was very obvious, but like the things that people were saying,
how everyone was acting like it was so crazy, like
it was it was nuts. And I actually was very
(25:16):
surprised that he got fired. I really was very shocked
that he got fired. But like, there wasn't very many
There wasn't very many reasons why he shouldn't.
Speaker 5 (25:24):
Have gotten fired. But first year, why drag it on? Yeah,
I know, it was just yeah, it was he got.
Speaker 4 (25:32):
The Darwin Ham treatment.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
You said, you've never seen that before, not in the
W but yes, they I'm telling you, y'all getting into
the man.
Speaker 5 (25:42):
I'm like, and yeah, Chris, I don't know if.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
He'll see another I don't even know if he'll want
to coach be a head coach at the W ever,
again like I wouldn't either, but I think that I
was again very shocked that they pulled the pluck that quickly,
considering how young that's team was and they were dealing
with injuries and just a.
Speaker 5 (26:02):
Lot of moving pieces.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
I was just like, this season wrapped this season up
for them, because that was the trades, the getting Melyssa INDIJ,
Losingnlyssa INDJ five minutes later, like and then it was
just like as the season continued, it was just like
adding insult to injury, like Djene gets to Minnesota and
(26:25):
it starts ballid. Melyssa gets to Vegas starts balling, or
she was an Indian and she was a wins a
championship and then everyone looking at Dallas like what are
y'all doing over there?
Speaker 1 (26:36):
So it doesn't help that they had the Pagebackers microscope
on them because her fans don't play all and they're
very used to seeing her win and thrive, and now
that she wasn't thriving, but they're using her win.
Speaker 3 (26:49):
She's probably lost more games this summer than in her
entire life, right.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
So I don't I don't think. I don't think the.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Pagebackers army was ready for that. Oh no, like there
were people. They have some fans that were not trying
to see them lose, which obviously we talk about this
all the time. The team with the number one pick
is never going to be the best team in the league.
I mean, Caitlin Clark was on some wizardy wizardry other stuff.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
But it's very rare that they go.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
To the playoffs like they got the number one pick
because they were back, you know.
Speaker 4 (27:19):
But it was unfortunate.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
But I will say, speaking of Page, Jose Fernandez, he he's.
Speaker 4 (27:26):
Friends with Gino. Which tampering is there such say.
Speaker 5 (27:31):
His coach tampering? Probably? I mean, I know Gino was
up in stores.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Like my poor Page we did y'all are not doing
my girl like this any longer. I'm sending in my
recommendation for a coach, and you're gonna hire them.
Speaker 5 (27:49):
That's how that that's how that coach insurge went.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Gino wrote a letter to the Dallas Wings and he said,
here's his resume, Here's who's gonna coach Page. Here's what's
going to make Dallas great. Here you go and hire him.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
And the resume said Gino Arima's homeboy. And that's all I.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Needed to know because one thing about you know he
does he does not play about Page.
Speaker 5 (28:11):
He does not play about Page.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
And the chance that uh Fudd could end up in
Dallas depending on how the lottery goes, how her season goes, like,
we might have a little Yukon link up down in Dallas.
Down in Dallas, I mean, low key, every team, every
team got like a mini Yukon linkup. It's actually insane.
If you go down the rosters, every team has like
(28:34):
two three Ukon players on it minimum, right, Like that's crazy.
If you come from Yukon, you're gonna be You're gonna
meet up with another Husky on your team at some
point in your life. But I think that that was
a great hire. I think his coaching style will translate
well to Pages playing style again, blank slate for the
(28:58):
most part on that team when it comes to veterans.
But I hope that they keep that young group together.
Who's a Page James Quinnerly Louisa Luisa, Yes, I'm Luisa.
I'm not say Page Paige. James and Luisa, Like, I
(29:18):
think those four, despite their record, had a really really
solid year as rookies, So I hope that they keep
those four or protect those four. We even get into that, like, okay, guys,
So yeah, you have the free agents, right, and then
the teams choose to protect or not protect players from
the expansion Draft. So yeah, you might think that your
(29:40):
favorite players that are still on their rookie contracts are
locked in to the team that they're on, but if
they don't get protected by their team, they could get
scooped up by one of the new teams. So exactly, exactly,
So I think that it's going to be interesting hand
picking his players. He's he coached at USF South Florida, guys,
(30:02):
if you don't know, and he was like one of
the first college coaches to start bringing in European players.
And I remember because I played against USF pat Courney
Williams with the USF and I played against Courtney Williams
in college, and I USF was always real solid, but
they always had like a few European players that were
(30:23):
on the roster and really really good and always found
a lot of success at USF. So he was definitely
one of the first coaches to recruit overseas, so I
think he's going to probably do the same thing coming
here again. I think, guys, the European players are coming.
You know, they've taken over the NBA. I don't know
(30:44):
if they'll take over the WNBA, but I think we're
going to be seeing an influx of European players, especially
if these salaries go up.
Speaker 5 (30:52):
That's been one of the biggest reasons why.
Speaker 3 (30:54):
They don't come over here is because they don't make
You don't make enough money, especially as a rookie like
them leaving their home for that many years, missing out
on overseas money to make the low key contracts like
none of them are really trying to do that. So
I think when our salaries go up, we're going to
(31:14):
see like an enormous influx of European players, which makes
me excited.
Speaker 5 (31:19):
Like I said, Duck Smoke, I'm ready for the Euros.
I'm ready for them. We ready for y'all. It's exciting.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
It's really going to make the WNBA global sport. I
think that's our next step, like becoming more global.
Speaker 5 (31:35):
That's how the NBA is.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
That's a huge that's a huge opportunity for the w
viewership wise as well because of that market for women's
basketball overseas, that tapping into those overseas fans would be
really incredible. My question about Jose Fernandez is do you
believe that college coaches their coaching style translates well into
(31:56):
the pros Because I know a lot of fans want
to see those those icons from college, like a Gena
or a Dawn coach. Professionally, how do you think that
their abilities as far as being a college coach translates
to being in the a system like OVERNBA.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
I'm trying to think because Kurt coached in college before
he came to the pros, and I think it really
depends on the person.
Speaker 5 (32:18):
I think it depends on the coach.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
I think the biggest difference between college and pros is
that you are coaching grown adults and not kids at
school and on a schedule, and you can't tell everybody
what to do all the time, and you do have
to be careful how you speak to this player and
how you speak to that player, because we're professionals, we're
all adults, and you don't just simply fall in line.
Speaker 5 (32:37):
Like you do in college.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
I've always thought that's been the biggest adjustment for college
coaches because basketball is basketball, and I think his style
of play is very creative, it's fast, it's innovative. I
think X's and O's wise, he's going to be fine.
But I think always it's just the communication and you know,
building trust and all that kind of stuff with a
(33:00):
bunch of grown ass people is not easy.
Speaker 5 (33:02):
In any any job, that's not easy.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
So I always think that's like the hardest part from
a college coach coming from you know, their universities where
they basically I mean, like I said, they're going to
be able to He's going to be able to like
handpick you know, some of the players that he brings.
So it is going to be a little bit similar
to college like when you're out recruiting and all that
kind of stuff. So I think that will benefit him
as well as all the other new coaches that get
(33:25):
to basically him pick their teams now.
Speaker 5 (33:27):
But I think he's going to be fine.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
And then yeah, you mentioned his relationship he has with Gino,
So I think that, you know, I think he's probably
already connected with Page and you know, they're already probably
cooking some stuff up for next season. So I'm I mean,
I'm excited for Paige because we all want to see
Paige win. So watching her this season was definitely hard
for her fans, I'm sure, but it was hard for
you know, anybody who loves watching good basketball because she's
(33:50):
such a good player. So I hope that this is
a good move for her sake because she deserves a
lot of success in the W and the W is
better when Paige is hop and on TV, and you know,
everyone loves watching her play. So I'm excited for I'm
excited for Dallas, I'm excited for Page.
Speaker 5 (34:06):
So yeah, I think we'll be good.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
The last one we're going to talk about is uh
the Portland fire.
Speaker 3 (34:26):
Portland fire, they've been very quiet. They were very quiet
all summer. I was like a little concerned. I'm like,
is prob let's not gonna have a theme like what
is happening? And then boom, they just started making a
little bit of noise.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
What are your thoughts on their new hire.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
So my dad actually was familiar with with Alex Sarama. Sarama,
I don't know, I have to get these pronunciations down.
But he also is coming from the NBA, which I
think is really great for us because of, you know,
the modern, fast paced play that we are heading towards,
and he's really big with analytics.
Speaker 5 (35:05):
I feel like.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
He is familiar with their GM and I think that
that higher. You know, a lot of people were like,
what who is this guy? He's in skill development?
Speaker 5 (35:19):
Da da da.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
Like I said, we are very behind when it comes
to skill development. So I think when it comes to
building an organization and a franchise from the ground up,
you can always lay your foundation on skill development. And
I think that's something that's going to be really interesting
about the Portland team, is how he's going to take
his thoughts and the way he thinks the game and
(35:43):
what he learned from being around the NBA, and how
he's going to infuse it into this new team. Because
it's a brand new team, they have no culture, they
have no anything. It's all on him, so there's no
there's really no like, no one can have any type
of critique for it. It's like there's nothing, nothing existed
before he got there. So I'm really interested to see
with someone that is skill development and analytic focused, hyper focused,
(36:08):
how they can transition into being a head coach and
with the new team in a new city with all
the new stuff. So I think it's going to be
really exciting. I've never been to Portland before, so excited
to explore a new city, even though I heard it's
just like Seattle, just.
Speaker 5 (36:29):
Colder.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
Yeah, I've never been to Seattle, but I would assume
it's pretty similar. I've been up there. But I will
say the one thing I was going to bring up
with all these these coaching hires, just to kind of
wrap this all up in a pretty little bow, is
it's interesting how when you become a head coach, a
lot of people don't know that you are building a
whole new system, like you're kind of the headhun show
(36:54):
of the organization, outside of the front office ownership type
of standpoint, like fate player facing, you're creating that you're
bringing in your staff, You're bringing in a whole group.
So it's interesting to see, especially with these coaches that
are inheriting programs that don't exist Philly, Detroit, Toronto, the Valkyries,
(37:16):
like all these new teams coming in, how these coaches
are going to create a culture, because that is something
that a coach that's going to coach somewhere that's already
a team like the Wings.
Speaker 4 (37:26):
Or the Liberty.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Those places already have fan bases, they already have culture.
Whereas the Valkyries, we saw them completely six women created
that there. I can't remember what they called their home
court advantage, like they had a special name for.
Speaker 4 (37:37):
That, yes, yes, whatever, Like all that is new, so
very interesting, and I'm excited.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
I'm excited too, And I feel like with these new
expansion teams, like I can't believe how many teams are
going to have, Like I never thought that I would
be a part of the WNBA with all of these
new teams and all of these cities, with all of
the support, Like every day, I'm always so amazed at
what the WBA has grown into over the last few years.
(38:07):
I think that every organization needs to really lock in
and focus on what their identity is going to be,
what their culture is going to be, how they're going
to engage with their fans, how they're going to like
everything is just bigger now. Everything needs to be more thoughtful,
Everything needs to be more.
Speaker 5 (38:29):
Collaborative from the top down.
Speaker 3 (38:31):
I again, already you already know how I feel about
some of the front offices in this league. I think
that now is the time where these front offices have
to take their product. The players that they're bringing in,
the contracts that they're giving way more serious than what
they had in the past. You know, you're building teams
(38:53):
to win championships. Winning teams bring in more money, you
get more fans. Like this is unfortunately, you know, turning
into a big, humongous business, and you know that is
good for us obviously, but it's still a sport that
we all love and grew up playing. And when it
becomes you know, big business, like a lot of things change,
(39:15):
but you have to still try and keep the main thing,
the main thing, which is winning basketball games. So I
do feel like with these new hires and we'll see
with you know, how they fill their staffs. I've always
thought that former players are better assistants in my opinion,
and I know a lot of people are, like a
lot more former players head coaches, Like I think they
are good head coaches as well. But when you're the
(39:38):
head coach, like you don't have the time to pour
into every single player all the time, like you do
have a little bit of time, like you make time
for anything that you want to make time for but
there's so many responsibilities that the head coach has that's
outside of just coaching us. That's why these assistants these
benches are so important. I feel like the way that
(40:02):
the WNBA players are on these benches has been like
game changing. I feel like I think that's why Indiana
even was able to do the push that they were
able to have two former players on their bench. Like,
the best relationships I've always had growing up were with
my assistant coaches. Like not saying I didn't have a
(40:24):
good relationship my head coach, but the coaches that I
could talk to, the coaches that you watch film with,
the coaches you get in the gym with those, those
are the assistants. The best assistant coaching staff I had
was at Duke, Like those are my people, Like.
Speaker 5 (40:37):
They changed my life.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
I feel like when I was at Duke, the assistant
I mean, my head coach was amazing coach p like
love her down. But the relationship I've built with the
assistants like literally changed my life. And I feel like
that gets overlooked when people are like, why are more.
Speaker 5 (40:50):
Former players being head coaches?
Speaker 3 (40:52):
They absolutely should be at some point, but I think
the relationship part, the development part, their experiences is whole value,
even when they're assistants or player development or whatever you know,
these former players are.
Speaker 5 (41:06):
I think that.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Having them around but not having all the pressure and
criticism of being a head coach, I think that is
way better. But again, like a briand January, like I
would really I don't know if she's in the running
for the Liberty job, but if there is a former
player that is ready to be a head coach, I
would say it is Brian January. She coached with US
at AU. She was amazing, She's incredible. She was a
(41:28):
great player an even better person. So you know, if
there is a former player her or Christy Tolliver, you
know I was able to play with Christy in LA
and that you know, she's my favorite player growing up,
so that was just a dream come true for me.
So I mean, I think between KT and Brian like
those would be the two former players that I would
(41:49):
love to see become head coaches in the very very
near future. But I think what they're doing on these
benches is so valuable, and I think that they get
overlooked a little bit because they're just assistants. But I
think you know, the league is full of former players
on these benches and I think they do a really
good job.
Speaker 5 (42:05):
So I think that's really important.
Speaker 3 (42:07):
You know, when these coaches and these organizations are feeling
their staff if they want to, you know, give back
to the former players and have them involved. And you know,
we're trying with the CBA to you know, take care
of our retired players and former players. I think that
is a way that the league can do it outside
of just CBA stuff and pension and retirement and blah
blah blah blah. Allowing them to have a space to
(42:28):
give back to us poor back into the game.
Speaker 5 (42:30):
And get paid for it.
Speaker 3 (42:31):
You know, that's always that's always a bonus doing something
you love and getting back.
Speaker 5 (42:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
I really love what you said about the assistant coaches
because it's so true. I've been a victim to that
as well, like wondering why there were less former players coaching.
But it makes so much sense because even in my
experience playing high school sports, I look back and I'm like,
that makes a really good point and that it makes
a lot of sense because your head coach is kind
of like the principal at school. Where's your assistant coaches?
(42:58):
Are your teachers who you're actually you can like talk
about your coach with. Then you can be like, oh man,
the coach can be bad cop and they can be
good cop, and you can kind of all.
Speaker 4 (43:06):
Everybody has a role.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Yeah, I mean, same thing what we keep saying, like
we want we want our faves to be the commissioner.
Speaker 5 (43:12):
You know, No, you know you don't. You want your
favors to be a head coach.
Speaker 1 (43:16):
No, you don't, And you need to hate your head
coach sometimes sometimes I'm sorry, And that's why I don't
want to be a coach.
Speaker 4 (43:24):
I cannot imagine waking up every day and being like.
Speaker 5 (43:27):
They hate me today. I gotta make them run today,
like I just I've never wanted that for myself.
Speaker 4 (43:34):
I'll love you when they're popping champagne in the locker room.
Speaker 5 (43:37):
After the champion.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
Speaking of championships, this is how we're gonna close out
the show. Out of all of these new expansion teams,
which team do you think will win a championship?
Speaker 5 (43:48):
First? If if they do.
Speaker 4 (43:52):
Okay, hard to say because.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
I don't know who's coaching all of them or who's
playing on all of them.
Speaker 4 (43:58):
I literally only know who's playing for that.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
If you can pick one team that's going to when
just based on just off vibes, the cities based.
Speaker 1 (44:07):
Off of vibes. I okay, this is the first thing
that popped on I had. I want to say, either
Toronto or.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
Philly, Philly, what was the last? Oh, the Eagles, I'm
like one of the last. If Philly even when that's something.
Speaker 5 (44:24):
A second ago, I'm going Valkyries. I'm going Valkyries. So yeah,
don't prove me wrong. Don't prove me wrong.
Speaker 4 (44:35):
When when are we When is Philly going to be
a team?
Speaker 1 (44:38):
Hold on?
Speaker 4 (44:38):
Hold on twenty twenty twenty thirty?
Speaker 3 (44:41):
Girl? Oh oh yeah, Eve, when it's twenty twenty eight?
I mean no, because I mean five, it's five years.
I mean the Aces might win two more, you know,
I don't know what years the Joy twenty twenty nine.
Speaker 4 (45:01):
Okay, yeah, I never mind. If I'll say to Troy
just just despite some people. But but I'm gonna say.
Speaker 5 (45:06):
Toronto, Toronto. Okay.
Speaker 3 (45:09):
So we're gonna we're gonna look back on this in
a few years when Canada, Canada, this is for you,
Oh my gosh. Okay, So we want new teams winning championships.
We would love new franchises to win championships, but we
want nothing but success for the WNBA as a whole.
(45:30):
So yeah, if you guys yea and successful, Lexi guys,
please you know what next season?
Speaker 5 (45:40):
Thirty first next season.
Speaker 3 (45:41):
The first thing that we're accomplishing is getting my one
thousand points. We are like two busts away, like to
literally two baskets away. Yeah from a thousand first game,
first game.
Speaker 5 (45:54):
I fucking oh shit. We'll see, we'll see, we'll see.
Speaker 3 (45:58):
But if y'all enjoyed this breakdown, don't forget to subscribe
tune into our videos weekly.
Speaker 5 (46:04):
This has been another episode of Full Circle Podcast. We
will see y'all next week.
Speaker 4 (46:09):
Bye. Thanks for listening to Full Circle.
Speaker 1 (46:12):
We'll be back next week with more basketball for the girls,
by the girls.
Speaker 4 (46:16):
We want to hear from you.
Speaker 1 (46:17):
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 Mariah Rose. Our executive producer
is Jesse Katz. Our supervising producer is Grace Fused. Our
producer is Zoe Danklab. Listen 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
(46:39):
and start listening.
Hosts And Creators
Lexie Brown
Mariah Rose
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