June 4, 2025 • 49 mins
In this episode of Full Circle, hosts Lexie Brown and Mariah Rose break down the WNBA Commissioner's Cup and catch up on the first two weeks of the season. We’ve got analysis of the New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, Atlanta Dream, and the Indiana Fever as they adjust to Caitlin Clark’s absence. Lexie addresses the speculation around her health and how she’s feeling about her time with the Seattle Storm so far. They also explain hardship contracts and EuroBasket departures, because we know you’re confused.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Full Circle is an Iheartwoman's sports production and partnership with
Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, guys,
welcome back to another episode of Full Circle.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Lexi. Hey, you.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Know, I felt better, but I'm doing well, still blessed.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
How are you.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I'm good, Lexi, I'm good. I'm ready to talk to
the people. Talk about what's going on this week.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
There's a lot going on. I know what what week?
Are we into the season? Two?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Two?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
I believe.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I'm like I feel like the season has been going
on for a year. I know it's oh my goodness,
it's it's it fails long.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
But as soon as it's over, we're gonna be like
that flu by.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
You might feel that way. Yeah, you're right, but no,
it's been great. It's been it's been fun. I just
like you have been watching from the socidelines.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
But let's get right into.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
It because we have a lot of exciting things to
talk about today and we can start with the beginning
of our Commissioner's Cup.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yes, okay, So first off, I want to introduce you
guys to the WNBA Commissioner's Cup super exciting. The Ncason
Tournament from the other league copied.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
It, stalled. I don't like saying copy.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
They stole the idea, completely stole.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
It, straight up, straight up. But I'm a fan.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
I love it, and I think that the NBA actually
does it better than we do as far as marketing
and pushing it and promoting it. Because it's been a
few years of us doing the Commissioner's Cup and people.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Still are like, what's the Commissioner's Cup.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
So we're here to explain it to anybody that is
confused as to why, all of a sudden, all of
the messaging has switched over in this month of June
and we are playing with pink, black and white basketballs
instead of our typical orange and white ones. So, Mariah,
if you're going to give the people a little rundown
of what the Commissioner's Cup is.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Yes, I'm going to give a little intro as to
what it is, just basic overview, and then Lexi, I
want you to explain your opinion on it and what
you think, because obviously you have some opinions, But first
and foremost, this is the WNBA's n season tournament. So
there's prize money, bragging rights, and charity incentives. It was
officially announced in twenty twenty and then it officially launched
(02:36):
in twenty twenty one. The format is, it's from June
first to June seventeenth, and it's designated games within each
conference that count towards the Cup standing. So me and
Lexi when we did our preseason preview went through the
teams by conference, even though the playoffs aren't by conference,
So you guys can go back to those episodes to
(02:56):
see how that works. But it's basically the Eastern teams
all five of them versus the Western teams all six
of them. They play they're six because of Golden State,
and the top team in each conference plays in the
July first title game. Each game still counts towards everyone's
regular season standings, so it still counts towards their normal standings,
(03:18):
but there is a five hundred thousand dollars prize pool
for players on the winning team, and there's a little
bonus that each player receives around five thousand dollars in bitcoin,
which I just learned that today.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Very interesting. I just learned that just now.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, that's worth.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
About one hundred and twenty thousand dollars in total, and
the past winners are the Storm, the Aces, the Liberty
and the Links, and the past MVPs are Breonna stor,
Asa Wilson, Sabrina Yunescu and the FISA Collier Lexi.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
What are your thoughts on the Commissioner's Cup.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Well, for me, it's exciting because you get more money.
So in our last game, you know, I didn't play
our last game, but I was like, I want to
win this game because you don't have to play to
get the bonus money. You just got to be on
the team. So for me, Mae, I've always been excited
about the Commissioner's Cup. But it's like, obviously I haven't
(04:14):
been on any of these teams that have won the
Commissioner's Cup. And I know why because there was like
little to no excitement about it on the teams that
I was on, Like they, I guess you want to
lock in and be like, oh, this is just like
another game, it's another game, but no, it's not just
another game. It's the Commissioner's Cup, like right, And I
feel like some teams approach it that way, and then
(04:35):
some teams approach it like no, like this is the
Commissioner's Cup, Like we want to win, Like it doesn't
matter what's going on in our regular season right now,
it's Commissioner Cup. Time forget everything else that's been going on.
Let's lock in and when the Commissioner's Cup, like you
get a trophy, you get the champagne bottles, you get
a photo shoot, you get all the.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Things, and it looks so hardy accounts and they still
have showed your regular season standing.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Exactly, So I'm like, why are some teams are more?
Speaker 1 (05:01):
I feel like giving these games a little extra oomph
isn't harmful?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
No, And it's been the most confusing thing to me,
Like people don't get like extra high for the Commissioner's
Cup game, Like yeah, we can talk about it like
oh yes, Commissioner's Cup, but like we got to play
like it's the.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Finals and exactly.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
That's that's what I was looking into it. Why it
matters quote unquote is because it's high stakes. It's supposed
to be giving the fans a playoff type of atmosphere
early in the season, and then it I feel like
it adds an entertainment value, extra competition and some more
context to early season matchups, because in any league, the
(05:40):
early part of the regular season can be a little well,
it's the early part of the regular season. It doesn't matter,
but you throw on a trophy and a tournament, I
feel like it matters.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
And the thing about ours versus the NBA is the
conference thing and the NBA it's like they're like randomized,
quote unquote, as random as things be in professional sports.
So it's like you do see these early season matchups
that maybe you wouldn't see before, and you see teams
that maybe aren't doing so well because they're stuck in
(06:09):
the tough ass Western Conference. Now they get to go
play in the Commissioner's Cup and play some teams that
they don't have to see all the time, and boom,
all of a sudden, you see an Indiana Pacers team
like last season, in the finals of the Commissioner's Cup.
So I don't know if if we'll ever get to
that in our league. As our teams grow, we get
(06:30):
expansion and stuff to where it won't have to just
be East West. I think obviously that might be like
a logistical thing as well, but I think it would
be more fun if you mix up the Commissioner's Cup
or like break it down into like three pools or
four pools instead of just two big ones. Like, but
again there's limitations because there's only thirteen teams. Also, it's
(06:51):
like not fair that we have to play six and
the Eastern gets to play five? Like what is that?
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Yeah, I will say, yeah, that is really good. Will
say that for me as a fan, it makes it
less confusing that it's the East to West, because that's
what I'm used to with the NBA playoffs, and I
can understand that very simply, like geographically East West. But
when they do the whole prize pool thing in the
end season tournament that I'm confused. I don't know who's
(07:18):
playing who, I don't know what's going on. So I
actually feel like, well, it might be more fun because
of the matchups, but I feel like as a fan.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
It's easier to follow.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
He's doing it better, yeah, because it's easier to follow,
but I need them to like do more with it.
It's like it's still like the n season tournament. Like
the way the NBA like made that seem like it
was the NBA Finals was amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Oh yeah, they gossed it yeah, the whole They.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Exactly like, we're not there yet, and I think we
can get there, and I think once that happens, and
it's gonna like turn a corner as far as the
stakes being high and the level of play being elevated.
But it also happens like we're seven games in, so
the mask has to be like, oh, playoff ready, and
we've been playing for a week and a half. Some
(08:03):
teams are hooping, some teams are still figuring it out,
which is what we We're about to get into some
of that as well, but shout out to the Commissioner's Cup.
We still have a chance to to get our ish together.
So so far, the storm we're on one a Commissioner's Cup,
but we have time to turn it around.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Like I definitely think tonight's match up, y'all got It's
definitely an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
And we have no choice if if which we won't
and I'm not going to put that out there because
we have powerful manifestation words. That'll be four losses in
a row, and that's not how you want to start
your season.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
You're playing the Wings right at home. You'll be okay, yep, oh,
you'll be fine. See I'm not even exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Yeah, but I think you'll be all right, all right
getting into We don't want to spoil it too soon.
Looking at some of the team that stuck out to
us this week, I want to start by either way, Lexi,
you want to just go through these and talk about
each one, or do you want to give an overview
and then you can say what's tuck out to you?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
We'll go one by one. Okay, I think let's do it.
That's easier.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
With the Liberty, Yes, I mean this is the team.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
I mean there are two, but this is the team
really everyone's been talking about because they don't look that different,
but they do look a little different. This has been
their most dominant star ever. They have the best offensive
and defensive rating. Everyone's touching the ball, I mean, and
I mean Ellie might get the next position.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
I think has hasn't a minor obsession with Ellie because
she mentioned.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Her everyone that's my homegirl.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
I need you all to get a picture together if
you ever go to a Liberty game again.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Oh I have one?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Oh you do?
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Oh yeah, We're gonna post that on our socials because
now the world needs to see why why what what's
going on with Ellie and Mariah, Because.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Y'all got something going on. Y'all got y'all got so I'm.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Serious the way things are going for them, They're about
to put Eli on the court.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I'm not even playing.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
I mean, they look so good. They're back to these numbers.
You guys, you know I'm going to keep I'm always
going to talk about the numbers here. Okay, they have
the highest assist percentage.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
In the league.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Their net rating, like Mariah said, is number one, and
it's twenty five point one. And to put that in context,
the team with the second best offensive rating, who we
will also talk about a little bit later, has a
net rating of ten point three. So if we can,
if y'all can visualize the gap of offensive domination and
(10:39):
defensive domination that the Liberty are playing with right now,
there you go, twenty five point one.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Second place is ten point three.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
To go on top of their offensive rating, they're averaging
ninety one point nine points per game, and the last
team that averaged nine over ninety points per game, or
the Aces and twenty twenty two and in twenty twenty three,
I'm pretty sure those are the years that they won
their back to back championships and shout out to the
Liberty because the Las Vegas Aces have.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Led the league in scoring since twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Wow, so let's knock the Aces off that little pedestal.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
So I'm gonna I'm.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Gonna give them a little high five for that, because yes,
we've been watching the Aces run the table offensively for
five years. So it's nice to see another team stepping
up to the challenge of scoring the basketball in our league,
because it is not easy to score in the WNBA.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
So yes, Lexi, why the difference. I didn't know before
we started talking that you were about to say that,
and I'm shocked.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
But obviously we know what's making the team so good.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Obviously the pieces they have are really good, but they're
that far apart.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
They're just they're a well oiled machine, like we always say.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
And the addition of Tash has.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Like I knew she was gonna come in there and
make a big difference, but the impact that she's had
has been beyond probably anybody's expectations. She just has just
brought their energy to another level. Like they already were
a very hard team to guard inside and outside, like
they have endless threats from the two. They have endless
(12:19):
threats from the three. They got threats coming off the bench,
and it just seems like everybody on that team is
in a role and they're fulfilling it and they're embracing it,
and they just look like they're having a lot of fun.
And we can credit that again to like, every time
we think of The Liberty, you think of like the
Liberty and then you think of Ellie, Like, I think
it's nice to as many superstars as they have on
(12:41):
that team. You don't think as just one player when
you think of the Liberty unless you're like a super
fan of one of those players. But from the outside
looking in, when you look at the Liberty, you're like,
that's a really really good team and they have a
really really fun, amazing mascot, and I think that's making
such a big difference. Like they're out there just playing
so free and it looks like they look very free flowing,
(13:03):
and even when they're missing a star in JJ like,
they're still very dominant.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
So I knew they were going to be really good.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Obviously they're the defending champions, but they're exceeding my personal expectations.
I have for them, and I this is only game seven,
so they're only going to keep getting better, so everyone
else needs to tighten up.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Well, let's get into the next unbeaten tam that you mentioned,
the Minnesota Lynx. They are unbeaten and still seem unsatisfied. Okay,
tearing through the league, Corney Williams and the FISA Collier
are an elite duo. LEXI tell us what the numbers
have to say about the Links.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
So the team with the next best net rating at
ten point three is the Links, which is still a
really good net rating. So I just yes, I think
the Liberty they're gonna plateau or whatever at some point.
Numbers wise not saying like their game is still not gonna,
you know, take a leap. They have the second highest
assist percentage and Kaylea McBride returned to the starting lineup
(14:14):
when they played US. Lucky us that we got the
return of k Mack and in her three games back,
she's averaging thirteen points, three rebounds, three assists, and shooting
fifty percent from three.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
So k Mack came.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Into the starting lineup and she said, I know y'all
missed me here. I am I didn't miss the beat.
She fits again in that system seamlessly. And then the
dynamic duo of Courtney Williams and Nafisa Collier are averaging
over forty points per game just the two of them.
So that's another three headed snake right there. And again
it's another team when you think about them, like, yes,
(14:49):
Fee is MVP candidate playing out of her mind, but
you still think of like the links, like the team,
and I think that's also like their superpowers, just like
the Liberty and just be like, oh, if we stop
this one, like they're gonna be dead, or if you
stop this one, they're gonna be dead. Like no, Like
that's a very hard team to guard. Their hard team
to play against, and we played them pretty tight when
(15:12):
we were in Minnesota. But like watching them actually one
of the games I actually played in, like they they
got it together. So they're another team that just is
going to continue to improve.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
I think, Lexie, I'm curious. Obviously basketball is a team sport,
so duh. But we've seen different types of great teams,
superstar led great teams, and like you're what you're describing,
which is you don't know who's gonna go off on
any given night type of teams which one are is
(15:47):
the WNBA leaning more towards as the future is coming
because you know, the style is always changing, and these
are the teams on top. So is this what fans
have to look forward to getting used to?
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, I mean, I think historically those are the teams
that have in the WNBA. When you have a lot
of talented players and you have a coach that knows
where to put these players. That's a whole job within
itself too, is making sure that you're putting your stars
and you're putting your talented players in situations for them
(16:17):
to be successful.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
And that's not always easy.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
And then in turn those players have to now buy
in into these situations, which might not always be the
situation that they want. So it's up like I'll use
Courtney as I've never i haven't had a conversation with
Courtney about this, but I've played with Courtney in Connecticut
and I've watched her again. I played against her in college.
She's not a she didn't come into the league to
(16:40):
be a point guard. She didn't come into the league
to run a team. But she is great when she
has the ball in her hands and It took her
being on the super talented Links team for her coach
to be like, you are really great with the ball,
you are a threat from the mid range, and you
can You're a very underrated passer.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
You need to be the point guard of this team.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
And I'm sure Courtney at first was like, I'm not
a point guard, Like what are you Like? This is
a very hard position, but she's embraced it and now
she looks like one of the best point guards in
the league right now, and she's playing like it and
her confidence is sky high. So it's having that type
of relationship with your team, your teammates, your coaching staff
to make a whole team work. But you look at
(17:24):
teams of the past, like even that Minnesota Lynk's dynasty team, like.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
They had five Hall of Famers on their team.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
So yes, and that requires buy in, Like not everybody
wants to go, like you said, pretty much everybody in
the WNBA, because as we've spoken about so many times,
everybody is so talented and it's so hard to hold
and take a spot in that league. But outside of that,
every player being a player that could go be a
(17:52):
star somewhere and choosing to buy into a system where
they might not be in the position that they are
there for or want to be, or be the main
girl in the main star.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
That requires buy in from.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
Those players, and it's a two way street.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
So yeah, I think historically that's how teams have been
successful in the W I think it's going to continue
that way because everybody in this league is so talented
and everybody has a platform, everybody has a brand, So
you don't have a ton of like no name under
the radar players coming in that you can kind of
draft and just kind of like hide away on the bench,
(18:30):
because you're gonna have people be like, well, what happened
to this player?
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Like why isn't this player playing right?
Speaker 3 (18:35):
But sometimes things happen like you're not in the rotation
or you're just not fitting in with that team, And
that happens sometimes too. But again, it's not as easy
to just allow those situations to fester as it has
been in the past because one, our visibility as a
whole in the league is bigger. It's more so people
are looking at some of these teams that are doing really,
(18:56):
really well and like, oh, like they're doing really well,
Like what they got going on is cool. But then
you look on we're here, the teams may be struggling
a little bit, and you're like, well, on paper, they
look just as good as this team or that team,
so like what they got going on over there? So
it's all a journey, it's all a process. But I
think you know, the teams that have the most buying
obviously are the most successful. But I think that's like
(19:16):
in all sports.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Well, you want to know what team?
Speaker 4 (19:19):
I want to talk about your team at at?
Speaker 3 (19:23):
What?
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Who?
Speaker 4 (19:24):
We also just played in last to.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Lexi, and you know, I'm always rude for.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
You girls, but that's my city.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Whatever.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
We are five and two, No, you guys, we are
five and two. What is one of the num we're saying?
Because I listen, can somebody roll back the tape of
me saying in our preseason video I was like, I
think we're going to be better than and then all
of the all the research I did, Lexi, everybody's like,
let's manage expectations.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
So what happened, Lexi?
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Well what I will say, okay, numbers for so their
net rating is five point three, which is fifth in
the league, so not horrible, top half of the league.
Their assist percentage is seventy percent, which is fifth in
the league. So what I will say about this Atlanta
Dream Team is this new coach, like I said, he
(20:19):
wants to play fast, and he wants to shoot a
lot of threes because that's how that's how he coached
that Florida Gulf Coast. My main concern with the Dream
was how were they going to manage that pace and
style of play playing double bigs in BG and free jones.
So from what I saw in our game against the
Dream is he benched VG in the second half, so.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
We were up big. Actually we were actually.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
Had a nice, little comfortable lead that game, and he said,
you know what, changing everything. I'm going one big one
center because Nas came in and whipped our on the
offensive glass. But so shout out to Nas because she's
a little energizer bunny, and I've always loved that and
appreciated that about her game. So yeah, I mean, he
(21:10):
stars don't get sat down often in the W You
don't see that, and we saw I saw with my
own eyes another game I did not play in. So
I'm watching all these things very closely. I want to
say that Ryan Howard and Alisha Gray might be the
most underrated backcourt in the WNBA. Rian is averaging seventeen
(21:30):
points right now, and she has been averaging seventeen points
per game the last two seasons, so she's very consistent
with her scoring. Alisha Gray is averaging twenty one points
per game up I think, five or six points from
her average last season, and she's shooting forty four percent
from the three. So what they got going on in Atlanta,
(21:50):
it's it looks good and they're doing all of this
without their starting point guard Jordan Canada.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
So who coming back would push us into another strato
sphere I fear.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
I think I think so too, especially with how fast
y'all be playing like now.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I will say it's funny that you mentioned the benching
Biggs Stars situation because that's exactly what I was hoping
would occur when we were playing The Fever and Stay
from Marina.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Because.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
That game was a visual representation of exactly what you
were talking about.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
He wants to play super fast.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
That would have worked a little better against.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Them, and it just wasn't. It just wasn't happening.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
So I think that having a coach that is willing
to make those adjustments.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
And that's all it was. Guys.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Before you're like, oh she said, bj got bench, Like yeah,
like you get sat down, like I'm on a permanent
benching right now.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Like I know what it's like.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Sometimes you just this ain't Joe moment, the end, move on,
next game. She might play the whole game and score
thirty Like it's not that serious.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
It's about and every game requires something different.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Yeah, it's all about making adjustments.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
And they made a major adjustment in the second half
of the I think we were up eleven or twelve
at halftime.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
So yeah, the Dream, like.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
They look good and they had some good contributions coming
off the bench. Their bench is like solid, like they're
not gonna like score a ton of points, but they're
gonna come in and provide energy and do what they
need to do.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
And yeah, so shout out to the Dream.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
I'm mad that y'all beat us, because you know that
was one of those games. If y'all we'll get into
my situation in a second, but if y'all know what
it's like to be on the bench, Like sometimes you
see that score, that.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
Margin growing and growing, and you're.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Like, dang, I'm gonna get in this game and then
the margin shrinks. I actually played nine games. I actually
played nine minutes this game. The game I didn't play
was the last one in Vegas. But I played nine
minutes and then the lead went away and then that
was it for me.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
So I was like, oh, okay, well, well.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Lexi, you can you can go into more detail about
your POV because right now we're doing a check in
with what's going on with the Storm. I'm gonna give
the people a little overview. First of all, I'll say
the Storm and not y'all, because I will I won't
insert you into everything that has occurred. But the Storm
currently holds a three and four record, having lost their
(24:27):
last three games. Their most recent defeat was a close
seventy five to seventy loss to the Las Vegas Aces,
who seem to come in with some We're going to
get our look back to have energy on Sunday, and yeah,
Gaby Williams led with twenty points and some reserves contributed
(24:47):
significantly in a late game rally.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
But I want to know what you think, Lexi.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
So first we'll get into our numbers.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
So our net rating is negative point four, which is bad.
You don't want to be a negative ever in net ratings,
so that's where we are. But it is seventh overall
in the league, so it's not the worst, but being
a negative is a no.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
No.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Our assist percentage is fourth, which means, which is good.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
A lot of our shots are.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Assisted, which means we share the ball and that is
absolutely true.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
So love that. I know.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
I didn't talk about this for the rest of the teams,
but we are still dead last and three point attempts,
so again, I'm going to keep my eye on that
number because that directly has impacted me a three point shooter,
So I think right now, I mean, we dealt with
an injury with Ac we lost her for one of
(25:49):
our games, and again a lot of new pieces, like
you have the core four from last season returning, and
then everybody else on the team is new. So that's
just something that we're working through as a team. I
feel like I do want to shout out Gabby Williams,
who's been playing out of her mind. I think a
(26:09):
lot of people have been shocked at how she's been playing,
only because they haven't seen her often in the w
because she's been playing overseas a lot but this is
a player that she's always been and she's even improved,
I think. And I've been seeing her, you know, develop
her three point shooting, her decision making, like she brings
the ball up a lot for us, So just seeing
(26:31):
her growth as a player. We were in the same
draft class, so I've been you know, watching her for
a long time. So she's been playing really well and
that makes me really happy for her, especially with you know,
the drama of prioritization and being in the w and
being in France and all that kind of stuff. So
to see her start the season this way has been
like really amazing for her me personally, Guys, I wish
(26:55):
I had an explanation as to.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
Why I haven't been seeing a lot of the playing.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I'm you know, all you can do is show up
and do what they ask you to do and be
a professional through it all, which is what I've been doing.
What I have not liked seeing is any of the
conversations surrounding my health. I'm not playing because I'm dealing
with sickness. I'm fine, I'm healthy, I'm good. I didn't
miss games because I was sick. I missed games because
(27:23):
I didn't know what I was sick with, and then
you have to figure out how to attack crone disease
with the medication, and then that's always the hardest part.
And once you get that settled, like everything's fine. So
anybody wondering, like, oh, she's sick again, she can't stay healthy,
Like no, Like I'm going to keep addressing this every week.
I'm fine, I feel great. I'm in the gym, I'm
(27:44):
shooting all the shots up. I don't know how many
more shots you can take as a shooter, but you
know you can't make shots that you don't have. But
I'm just being asked to be great in my role,
which is currently being a great teammate and just being
ready and that's all you can do. And that's what
professional sports is, unfortunately. Like I was talking to my
(28:05):
mom today about it, like it's still amazing being here,
the facility is still amazing, Like I love my teammates,
it's great, but like, ultimately, like this is a job,
Like I'm I didn't ask for this trade. I didn't
ask to be put in this situation. So it's just
something that I'm navigating. It's like waking up one day
you're at a job that you really like, in a
(28:26):
city that you really like, and then you get a
call from a job and be like, oh, you were
sending you to this job over there, good luck bye.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
Like that's ultimately what it is.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
So you can't do anything but be a professional through
it all and still grateful to be here. I have
a job, I'm employed, I'm living my dream.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
But it's hard to watch like your.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
Team struggle or your team lose and you're just sitting
there like like dang, Like I know I can contribute,
I know I can help, but you just got to
stay positive, which is what I'm what I'm trying to
do the best that I can.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
LEXI, thanks for being super honest.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
So that's about that.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
I think that people don't like to, you know, talk
about those those things, and I really appreciate you being
honest with us. But and I'm just from a number,
just from a number of perspective, you know, while you
were talking, I had to look up some numbers of
my own, and I will say it is interesting. The
Seattle Storm are last in three point attempts and the
(29:28):
New York Liberty or second right and first and three
pointers made. So I'm thinking to myself, at least in
the MNBA side of things, we find that when a
team wins a championship, obviously every team has their own
personnel and identity. However, as a basketball fan and a
(29:53):
sports fan in general, typically this happens in the NFL
as well. When a team wins a championship doing a
certain thing, it kind of starts to feel like the
recipe for winning becomes similar to that. And so I'm
just curious from your perspective as a professional, I feel
(30:14):
like taking more threes and or making more threes could
be beneficial to a.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Team, not just a Storm, any team.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, I just I don't know me personally, I feel like,
why isn't that something that can be prioritized more across
the board?
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Yeah, I mean, I feel like because there was like
such negative talk about there's too many threes, there's too
many threes, but it's like we're still not taking nearly
as many as the NBA teams are taking. But it's
like the Aces, like I said, have been leading the
league and scoring and it was because they're paced, and
(30:55):
then they were shooting a lot of threes.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
And their second and three.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Yeah, like I thought that like this change would be
happening a little quicker as far as prioritizing, you know,
three point shots versus two point shots. Like you said,
you need to have a healthy combination of the two,
and you have to make The thing about the twos
is like you have to make them at a high level.
So you could make all the threes you want, but
(31:22):
like if you're missing twos easy twos, like you're not
gonna win that way either. So it's just finding the
healthy balance and like you said, having the right personnel
for it.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
So I'm I mean, I've y'all know me.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
I watch all the games, I'm watching all of our
film whatever, and some of the shots that I'm seeing
get put up. I'm just kind of like, Okay, well,
I'm just gonna sit here and wait for that opportunity.
Not that I want to go out and jack a
bunch of threes, Like that's also not what I want
to do.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
I'm an effishing player.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
I like to play basketball the right way, but I
also am not just delegated to playing outside the three
point line. Like I can score in other ways. I
can contribute in other ways. And I feel like, because
I talk so highly about.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
My three point shooting.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
When I get to the WNBA, I get like put
in like this three point shooter box, and I will
take a little bit of accountability for that because I
am very confident in my three point shooting because I
know how hard I work at it.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
As you should be.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
But I can do other things Like if anybody watched
me and Au this past year, I was doing a
lot of other types of scoring besides shooting threes, so right,
and you got a lot of praise for that. Yeah,
And it's something that I purposely did because I did
feel myself being put in that box in the WNBA
of oh, she can only shoot threes. If it's not
(32:46):
a three point shot, then she won't take it, or
we shouldn't give it for the ball if it's not
a three. And that's something that I mean, it's a
good reputation I have. I get to the few minutes
that I'm out on the court, I get defended. Like
I've made twenty five threes already this season, I've made zero,
so I've only shot four, but I've made I haven't
made any. But every time I step on the floor,
(33:08):
the respect is there, and that always makes me feel good.
At least because I am respected by my peers in
that aspect that she can shoot the ball, like, don't
let her get any easy looks. So that keeps me,
you know, confident and motivated whether I'm making ten threes
or making no threes, Like, I know the work that
I've put in. But the only real thing that has
(33:29):
really upset me about this is that, like, I will
never get into the three point contests doing this, I'm
going to have my own three point contests and live
stream it for y'all to watch.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
And that's what I'm I'm going.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
To live stream it while the actual three point contest
is going on. I know, I'm like, how am I
going to get into the three point contest?
Speaker 4 (33:50):
Ain't nobody seen me shooting? No damn three?
Speaker 1 (33:52):
Didn't you win the Gills Arena shooting contest?
Speaker 4 (33:55):
I beat the couch.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
I didn't win the actual competition, but yes, I beat
the couch. I'm the best shooter on the couch still officially.
Speaker 4 (34:03):
We had like a little mini.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Shootout like two months ago, and I didn't really shoot
that well, but that was it didn't count.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
I'm still the best shooter on the couch.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
But right right, we have a game tonight against Dallas,
Like I said, and this is a good opportunity to
turn to turn it around. Like no one is panicking,
but you don't ever want to go on a losing
streak at any point in your season, Like doesn't matter
what type of season you're having. Like when those losses
start to pile up, it's like it's difficult.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
It's very difficult.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
But the Chicago Sky team I was on, I wasn't
around for it, but they went on like a seven
or eight game losing streak and finished sixth place. Not
saying we're gonna finish six but again.
Speaker 4 (34:44):
It's not the end of the world.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Like losing happens. So tonight is a great opportunity.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
And you're also not going to go on a seven
game losing streak.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Yeah, So tonight is a great opportunity for us to
turn around. Everyone's really locked in. We had a great
shoot around, learned a lot from film from last game.
So I'm excited for our game tonight. It's gonna be
a good one. And it's on ESPN, so y'all can
see me either on the corner on the bench, either way,
y'all will be able.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
To see me on ESPN.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
Okay, I watched the last time you guys played the
Wings too.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Oh so yeah, I didn't even play, I guess, so
they might be able.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
To throw me in there and be like surprise, like
you ain't see Lexi last game, so maybe you can
see her tonight. But like I said, great opportunity for
us tonight. So I'm really excited.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Well, at the end of the day, we love in
the tunnel fits Lexi.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
You eating that up, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
There are three point contest for that you'd be winning.
Last team that we're gonna get into before we talk
a little bit about hardship contracts and educate you guys
a little bit because that goes into the situation we're
about to discuss, and that is the Indiana Fever, who
(35:55):
are two and four. No Caitlin Clark for now, but
Aliah Boston is thriving a playmaker. Lexi, Is this what
you expected with no Caitlin?
Speaker 3 (36:06):
Yeah, I mean you don't expect people to get injured obviously.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Well last week when we discussed it.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Oh yeah, I mean I was expecting maybe for dB
to like find her footing a little bit more. But
like I said, it is not easy to get used
to a new team, a new city, and then now
your point guard's down, So that's probably going to make
it a little bit harder for dB to like find
her rhythm. Some of their numbers net rating is six
(36:32):
point four, which is third. They have the lowest assists
percentage though, So when I see that number, I don't
want everyone's thoughts to be like, oh, they're selfish, they
don't pass the ball, like, No, they just have a
lot of players that can create their own shots.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
So is that because also Kaitlyn is not playing?
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Yeah, I mean because when you have that, when you
have the player that leads the league in assists, and
your assists percentage is that low, like it that doesn't
really like make sense, But again, like you have a
lot of players that can create their own shots, and
then yeah, they're as sis percentage has probably taken a
tumble since Caitlyn has been out. Oh their threes and
then surprisingly this probably also is because Kaitln has missed
(37:15):
some games. But they're eleventh and three point attempts at
twenty point three, so I thought they would be taking
way more threes than that. But even when Kaitlyn was playing,
like they were still like kind of middle bottom of
the list for three point attempts, So that was like
very surprising to me. But also, I think teams are
defending Caitlyn Clark a little bit better than last season.
(37:36):
You have a year of experience, a year of film
under your belt to figure that out. But yeah, this
goes back to our conversations about rosters spots, because you
could have your whole team and then three days later
you have seven players, which is basically what has happened
to the Indiana Fever. So they've lost multiple players to
(37:59):
injury and now have brought in players.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
On hardship contracts.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Yeah, is there anything else you want to say about
the fever before we dive into hardship contracts.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
Well, they added Ari McDonald on hardship to hold hopefully
hang on while injured. But LEXI definitely give us a
little bit of hardship contracts one oh one.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
So we mentioned a hardship contract in one of our
previous episodes, but I was like, oh, we won't need
to get into that, and so like middle of the season,
but no, like here we are games seven to eight
for a lot of these teams, and we're already signing
hardship contracts. So what hardship contracts are. There are temporary
contracts that can be used if you get under the
minimum number of healthy players, which in our league is eight.
(38:44):
So some teams started this season with eleven, some teams
like us started with ten. So those hardship contracts can
kick in very fast. I think you get seventy five
percent of the veteran minimum. And just because they say
rest of the season like that doesn't mean like these
players are on the roster for the rest of the season.
(39:06):
They're just on the roster until the player that they're
replacing is back healthy.
Speaker 4 (39:11):
So you can still get like cut.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
But a lot of these contracts a lot Also, what
people don't understand, everybody that's not on a guaranteed deal
can right now. They can still be waived from their team.
So these non guaranteed players are still like, you can
get cut still right now, and a lot of people
don't realize that.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
So if a player on hardship comes in and goes off,
let's say and a player with a non guaranteed contract
may be hurt or something, and there let's say that
they're second the death chart for point guard and they're
hurt also, and then they sign a point guard for
hardship and that point guard goes off and they decide
they want to keep her for the rest of the season.
(39:53):
Would they then cut their second on the death art
point guard that is non guaranteed?
Speaker 4 (39:59):
I mean, technically, yes, they could do that. Wow. Is
that the right thing to do? Is that good karma?
Probably not?
Speaker 3 (40:10):
But if we're talking business of sports and business of
basketball and you have a hardship player come in and
go crazy, like, yes, that can absolutely happen.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
Does that typically happen?
Speaker 3 (40:22):
No, Usually just bring in the hardship player to meet
your player minimum. But there are cases like last year
for the Sparks that Odyssey came in and was starting
as a hardship player and now she's on a regular
contract the next year.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
So they're great opportunities, I.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
Asked, because it's a good opportunity.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
Yeah, it's a great many players getting waved.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
So I'm like really happy for Airy because her getting
away from the Sparks was definitely surprising, So for her
to get a different opportunity on a Fever team that
actually can use her, I'm really excited for her and
really happy for her, because I'm sure she was and
expecting to get waved from the sparks either. So if
any of you guys were confused as to what a
(41:05):
hardship contract was, I hope that cleared a little.
Speaker 4 (41:09):
Bit of that confusion up.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
But also something else that has come up that has
probably confused people are players leaving to go play in Europe,
and you guys are probably like, I thought the European
season was the off season.
Speaker 4 (41:23):
Yeah it is, but there's euro Basket now.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
And if you guys don't know what euro Basket is,
it's it's the tournament that helps teams and countries qualify
for the Olympics. So players just get to leave and
be like breb, We're gonna go play for our countries
and we'll see y'all when we get back. So sometimes
teams will like temporarily suspend a player or they'll just
wave them.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
Completely like there's really it's like it is.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
It's a hard thing to explain to people, like why
do they just get to leave in the middle of
the season, and they're just like, well, because they can,
and you have obligations. Sorry, guys, this is my dog
growling here. He is Everyone say hi, to Canon Cannon.
Speaker 4 (42:10):
Hey, what are you growling at?
Speaker 2 (42:11):
It's so cute? Well, he was trying to t take
the mic.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
He's uh, but yeah, the EuroBasket because I remember my
second year in the league, I was trying to get
a Serbian passport to play on the Serbian national team,
and they wanted me to miss like the first half
of the w season to go get ready for the tournament.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
Why were you going to play in Serbia?
Speaker 3 (42:35):
Well, because when you have a passport from another country,
you can get paid more money overseas, and then you
can go on teams with more Americans on it because
technically you're not an American because teams overseas have caps
on how many Americans you can have on a roster.
So if you get a passport, you can be considered
(42:57):
a European player, so then they can like load up
on so like I don't know if you guys follow,
it's cool European and FOBA, but like there's like Fenner
Fenner and a lot.
Speaker 4 (43:09):
Of those euro League teams.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
You look over there and you're like, why do they
have so many WNBA players on their team. It's because
a lot of them have European passports. So they can
like put them all on the same team, which is
also why some of your players you are like, why
aren't they on the USA team, Well, because they got passports,
so they go play for other for other teams in
other countries.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
That is so interesting.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
Yeah, so I was this close to being Serbian, y'all.
I was real close, but it didn't work out that way.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
So you would have been cousins.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
I know, I know, but yeah, I literally like I was.
I was playing in Hungary at the time, so I
was like taking like little mini trips to Serbia trying
to get all that settled. I met with the coach
like it was like happening, and then they're like, oh, yeah,
you need to miss like the first half of your
w season, and I was like, I just got.
Speaker 4 (43:59):
Here, I can't.
Speaker 3 (44:02):
And then the rest is history. So yeah, that's the
euro Basket stuff. If you guys were wondering why players
just get to leave, it's just because I have fire obligations.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
One of the current top headlines going around as far
as the w is concerned is Cameron Brink basically saying
on her podcast that before the WBA adds more teams,
there needs to be more roster spots with what we're
talking about euro Basket.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
Departures, hardship contracts.
Speaker 1 (44:32):
Do you feel as though I think Portland is going
to be the next one to get a team, or
Toronto Toronto the tempo, but after that and it's even
out and so the commissioner's couple not be six and six.
Do you feel like before expanding there needs to be
more roster spots.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
I mean, I feel like both can happen. So if
there's a time for it to happen, it is now.
But it's something that needs to be negotiated in our
CBA or there just needs to be some type of
I was just talking about this on Ryl and Tarika's
podcast that there's a new league starting East Coast based
(45:13):
out of Jacksonville, because my dad is like consulting with it.
It's called Upshot, and it's going to be four teams
in different cities on the East Coast and it's like
going to be like a professional women's basketball league in
the summertime.
Speaker 4 (45:26):
And I was like, well, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (45:30):
This will also have to be written in the CBA
if they can figure something out with the w to
where you have players in this new league playing working out.
Maybe you give these coaches offenses that are typically ran
in the WNBA, so that there's a pool of players
(45:52):
that can be selected from instead of going to find
someone that is on their couch or at home, or
someone is like not waiting around for that opportunity because
they have another one somewhere else. Like sometimes players miss
out on this opportunity with the hardship contracts because they
accept their overseas contract or they go play somewhere else
(46:13):
in the summertime. So I feel like in our new CBA,
like we are one hundred percent in control of how
this moves forward, the roster spots, the team expansion, where
these hardship players come from, Like it all has to
we all have to work together to make it a
more realistic thing, like instead of just calling random people
(46:34):
to come fill in a roster spot.
Speaker 4 (46:36):
Like that doesn't it's not a good look for the league.
Speaker 3 (46:39):
It's a very stressful and weird situation for these players
that get caught in these hardship situations. And yeah, like
there's no reason why a professional basketball team should ever
have seven healthy players in right one of the season,
Like that's ridiculous. So yeah, I think that there's a
way that we can expand rosters and have the expansion teams,
(47:02):
because I think the expansion teams are amazing. But I
absolutely agree that these rosters need to be expanded. But
that's something that's written in the CBA, so I agree, you.
Speaker 4 (47:12):
Can't do anything about it right now.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
So yeah, like it's nice to just keep saying it
over and over and over. But I'm in these CBA conversations.
I'm on the committee. I'm our player representative for the
Players Association. Me a season vice president, Mekka is the president,
so we have like a lot and Ezzie is like
the second player reps. Like, we have a lot of
(47:35):
voices in these conversations. So I hope that a lot
of these players who are so vocal about things are
also in these conversations because their voices need to be heard.
Speaker 4 (47:44):
So the right people, the.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
People that are actually at the table, Like, if you
have a concern, like you need to be in these meetings.
You need to have these conversations because I know I
am because if everybody knows me, I have a lot
of concerns and opinions about a lot of things. But
you better believe I'm at those meetings and I'm talking
to Terry, and I'm talking to Mekka, and I'm bringing
things to the front and center that concerned me that
(48:05):
I think needs to be improved, that needs to be
better for the future of the league. So yes, I
think we all agree that rosters need expanding, and hopefully
that's something that we can get negotiated in the next CBA.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
I agree, and I'm proud of all of you for
making your voices heard. Lexi, I can't believe we're getting
these people out and under an hour.
Speaker 3 (48:27):
Under an hour, guys, like we are trying really hard.
So this was this was a record day, but we
got a lot. We talked about a lot, so we.
Speaker 4 (48:35):
Can do it. We can do it.
Speaker 3 (48:37):
We can make these tons. The episode is real efficient
and thought provoking.
Speaker 1 (48:42):
Lexai, good luck tonight. Can't wait to hear you.
Speaker 4 (48:45):
Yeah, I got a few laid out on my bed
right now.
Speaker 3 (48:47):
Actually, so, guys, this is like, after I get through
my scouting and film, the next part of my game
day routine is figuring out the fit. So if y'all
been watching me on the on the Gram, y'all been
seeing my outfits, I've and very proud of them. So
it's been one of the highlights of the season so
far has been the tunnel fits.
Speaker 1 (49:07):
For sure, it's the highlight of ours as well well.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
Thank you guys so much for listening.
Speaker 1 (49:12):
To this episode of Full Circle.
Speaker 2 (49:14):
We'll be back next week.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
See y'all.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
Thanks for listening to Full Circle. We'll be back next
week with more basketball.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
For the girls, by the girls. We want to hear
from you.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
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 Fuse. 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
(49:45):
and start listening.
Full Circle is an Iheartwoman's sports production and partnership with
Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, guys,
welcome back to another episode of Full Circle.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Lexi. Hey, you.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Know, I felt better, but I'm doing well, still blessed.
Speaker 4 (00:30):
How are you.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
I'm good, Lexi, I'm good. I'm ready to talk to
the people. Talk about what's going on this week.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
There's a lot going on. I know what what week?
Are we into the season? Two?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Two?
Speaker 1 (00:42):
I believe.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
I'm like I feel like the season has been going
on for a year. I know it's oh my goodness,
it's it's it fails long.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
But as soon as it's over, we're gonna be like
that flu by.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
You might feel that way. Yeah, you're right, but no,
it's been great. It's been it's been fun. I just
like you have been watching from the socidelines.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
But let's get right into.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
It because we have a lot of exciting things to
talk about today and we can start with the beginning
of our Commissioner's Cup.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Yes, okay, So first off, I want to introduce you
guys to the WNBA Commissioner's Cup super exciting. The Ncason
Tournament from the other league copied.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
It, stalled. I don't like saying copy.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
They stole the idea, completely stole.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
It, straight up, straight up. But I'm a fan.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
I love it, and I think that the NBA actually
does it better than we do as far as marketing
and pushing it and promoting it. Because it's been a
few years of us doing the Commissioner's Cup and people.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
Still are like, what's the Commissioner's Cup.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
So we're here to explain it to anybody that is
confused as to why, all of a sudden, all of
the messaging has switched over in this month of June
and we are playing with pink, black and white basketballs
instead of our typical orange and white ones. So, Mariah,
if you're going to give the people a little rundown
of what the Commissioner's Cup is.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Yes, I'm going to give a little intro as to
what it is, just basic overview, and then Lexi, I
want you to explain your opinion on it and what
you think, because obviously you have some opinions, But first
and foremost, this is the WNBA's n season tournament. So
there's prize money, bragging rights, and charity incentives. It was
officially announced in twenty twenty and then it officially launched
(02:36):
in twenty twenty one. The format is, it's from June
first to June seventeenth, and it's designated games within each
conference that count towards the Cup standing. So me and
Lexi when we did our preseason preview went through the
teams by conference, even though the playoffs aren't by conference,
So you guys can go back to those episodes to
(02:56):
see how that works. But it's basically the Eastern teams
all five of them versus the Western teams all six
of them. They play they're six because of Golden State,
and the top team in each conference plays in the
July first title game. Each game still counts towards everyone's
regular season standings, so it still counts towards their normal standings,
(03:18):
but there is a five hundred thousand dollars prize pool
for players on the winning team, and there's a little
bonus that each player receives around five thousand dollars in bitcoin,
which I just learned that today.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Very interesting. I just learned that just now.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, that's worth.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
About one hundred and twenty thousand dollars in total, and
the past winners are the Storm, the Aces, the Liberty
and the Links, and the past MVPs are Breonna stor,
Asa Wilson, Sabrina Yunescu and the FISA Collier Lexi.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
What are your thoughts on the Commissioner's Cup.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Well, for me, it's exciting because you get more money.
So in our last game, you know, I didn't play
our last game, but I was like, I want to
win this game because you don't have to play to
get the bonus money. You just got to be on
the team. So for me, Mae, I've always been excited
about the Commissioner's Cup. But it's like, obviously I haven't
(04:14):
been on any of these teams that have won the
Commissioner's Cup. And I know why because there was like
little to no excitement about it on the teams that
I was on, Like they, I guess you want to
lock in and be like, oh, this is just like
another game, it's another game, but no, it's not just
another game. It's the Commissioner's Cup, like right, And I
feel like some teams approach it that way, and then
(04:35):
some teams approach it like no, like this is the
Commissioner's Cup, Like we want to win, Like it doesn't
matter what's going on in our regular season right now,
it's Commissioner Cup. Time forget everything else that's been going on.
Let's lock in and when the Commissioner's Cup, like you
get a trophy, you get the champagne bottles, you get
a photo shoot, you get all the.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Things, and it looks so hardy accounts and they still
have showed your regular season standing.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Exactly, So I'm like, why are some teams are more?
Speaker 1 (05:01):
I feel like giving these games a little extra oomph
isn't harmful?
Speaker 3 (05:05):
No, And it's been the most confusing thing to me,
Like people don't get like extra high for the Commissioner's
Cup game, Like yeah, we can talk about it like
oh yes, Commissioner's Cup, but like we got to play
like it's the.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Finals and exactly.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
That's that's what I was looking into it. Why it
matters quote unquote is because it's high stakes. It's supposed
to be giving the fans a playoff type of atmosphere
early in the season, and then it I feel like
it adds an entertainment value, extra competition and some more
context to early season matchups, because in any league, the
(05:40):
early part of the regular season can be a little well,
it's the early part of the regular season. It doesn't matter,
but you throw on a trophy and a tournament, I
feel like it matters.
Speaker 4 (05:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
And the thing about ours versus the NBA is the
conference thing and the NBA it's like they're like randomized,
quote unquote, as random as things be in professional sports.
So it's like you do see these early season matchups
that maybe you wouldn't see before, and you see teams
that maybe aren't doing so well because they're stuck in
(06:09):
the tough ass Western Conference. Now they get to go
play in the Commissioner's Cup and play some teams that
they don't have to see all the time, and boom,
all of a sudden, you see an Indiana Pacers team
like last season, in the finals of the Commissioner's Cup.
So I don't know if if we'll ever get to
that in our league. As our teams grow, we get
(06:30):
expansion and stuff to where it won't have to just
be East West. I think obviously that might be like
a logistical thing as well, but I think it would
be more fun if you mix up the Commissioner's Cup
or like break it down into like three pools or
four pools instead of just two big ones. Like, but
again there's limitations because there's only thirteen teams. Also, it's
(06:51):
like not fair that we have to play six and
the Eastern gets to play five? Like what is that?
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Yeah, I will say, yeah, that is really good. Will
say that for me as a fan, it makes it
less confusing that it's the East to West, because that's
what I'm used to with the NBA playoffs, and I
can understand that very simply, like geographically East West. But
when they do the whole prize pool thing in the
end season tournament that I'm confused. I don't know who's
(07:18):
playing who, I don't know what's going on. So I
actually feel like, well, it might be more fun because
of the matchups, but I feel like as a fan.
Speaker 4 (07:25):
It's easier to follow.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
He's doing it better, yeah, because it's easier to follow,
but I need them to like do more with it.
It's like it's still like the n season tournament. Like
the way the NBA like made that seem like it
was the NBA Finals was amazing.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Oh yeah, they gossed it yeah, the whole They.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Exactly like, we're not there yet, and I think we
can get there, and I think once that happens, and
it's gonna like turn a corner as far as the
stakes being high and the level of play being elevated.
But it also happens like we're seven games in, so
the mask has to be like, oh, playoff ready, and
we've been playing for a week and a half. Some
(08:03):
teams are hooping, some teams are still figuring it out,
which is what we We're about to get into some
of that as well, but shout out to the Commissioner's Cup.
We still have a chance to to get our ish together.
So so far, the storm we're on one a Commissioner's Cup,
but we have time to turn it around.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
Like I definitely think tonight's match up, y'all got It's
definitely an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
And we have no choice if if which we won't
and I'm not going to put that out there because
we have powerful manifestation words. That'll be four losses in
a row, and that's not how you want to start
your season.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
You're playing the Wings right at home. You'll be okay, yep, oh,
you'll be fine. See I'm not even exactly.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Yeah, but I think you'll be all right, all right
getting into We don't want to spoil it too soon.
Looking at some of the team that stuck out to
us this week, I want to start by either way, Lexi,
you want to just go through these and talk about
each one, or do you want to give an overview
and then you can say what's tuck out to you?
Speaker 4 (09:10):
We'll go one by one. Okay, I think let's do it.
That's easier.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
With the Liberty, Yes, I mean this is the team.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
I mean there are two, but this is the team
really everyone's been talking about because they don't look that different,
but they do look a little different. This has been
their most dominant star ever. They have the best offensive
and defensive rating. Everyone's touching the ball, I mean, and
I mean Ellie might get the next position.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
I think has hasn't a minor obsession with Ellie because
she mentioned.
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Her everyone that's my homegirl.
Speaker 3 (09:46):
I need you all to get a picture together if
you ever go to a Liberty game again.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Oh I have one?
Speaker 4 (09:50):
Oh you do?
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Oh yeah, We're gonna post that on our socials because
now the world needs to see why why what what's
going on with Ellie and Mariah, Because.
Speaker 4 (09:58):
Y'all got something going on. Y'all got y'all got so I'm.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Serious the way things are going for them, They're about
to put Eli on the court.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
I'm not even playing.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
I mean, they look so good. They're back to these numbers.
You guys, you know I'm going to keep I'm always
going to talk about the numbers here. Okay, they have
the highest assist percentage.
Speaker 4 (10:15):
In the league.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Their net rating, like Mariah said, is number one, and
it's twenty five point one. And to put that in context,
the team with the second best offensive rating, who we
will also talk about a little bit later, has a
net rating of ten point three. So if we can,
if y'all can visualize the gap of offensive domination and
(10:39):
defensive domination that the Liberty are playing with right now,
there you go, twenty five point one.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
Second place is ten point three.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
To go on top of their offensive rating, they're averaging
ninety one point nine points per game, and the last
team that averaged nine over ninety points per game, or
the Aces and twenty twenty two and in twenty twenty three,
I'm pretty sure those are the years that they won
their back to back championships and shout out to the
Liberty because the Las Vegas Aces have.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Led the league in scoring since twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Wow, so let's knock the Aces off that little pedestal.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
So I'm gonna I'm.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Gonna give them a little high five for that, because yes,
we've been watching the Aces run the table offensively for
five years. So it's nice to see another team stepping
up to the challenge of scoring the basketball in our league,
because it is not easy to score in the WNBA.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
So yes, Lexi, why the difference. I didn't know before
we started talking that you were about to say that,
and I'm shocked.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
But obviously we know what's making the team so good.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Obviously the pieces they have are really good, but they're
that far apart.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
They're just they're a well oiled machine, like we always say.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
And the addition of Tash has.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Like I knew she was gonna come in there and
make a big difference, but the impact that she's had
has been beyond probably anybody's expectations. She just has just
brought their energy to another level. Like they already were
a very hard team to guard inside and outside, like
they have endless threats from the two. They have endless
(12:19):
threats from the three. They got threats coming off the bench,
and it just seems like everybody on that team is
in a role and they're fulfilling it and they're embracing it,
and they just look like they're having a lot of fun.
And we can credit that again to like, every time
we think of The Liberty, you think of like the
Liberty and then you think of Ellie, Like, I think
it's nice to as many superstars as they have on
(12:41):
that team. You don't think as just one player when
you think of the Liberty unless you're like a super
fan of one of those players. But from the outside
looking in, when you look at the Liberty, you're like,
that's a really really good team and they have a
really really fun, amazing mascot, and I think that's making
such a big difference. Like they're out there just playing
so free and it looks like they look very free flowing,
(13:03):
and even when they're missing a star in JJ like,
they're still very dominant.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
So I knew they were going to be really good.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Obviously they're the defending champions, but they're exceeding my personal expectations.
I have for them, and I this is only game seven,
so they're only going to keep getting better, so everyone
else needs to tighten up.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Well, let's get into the next unbeaten tam that you mentioned,
the Minnesota Lynx. They are unbeaten and still seem unsatisfied. Okay,
tearing through the league, Corney Williams and the FISA Collier
are an elite duo. LEXI tell us what the numbers
have to say about the Links.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
So the team with the next best net rating at
ten point three is the Links, which is still a
really good net rating. So I just yes, I think
the Liberty they're gonna plateau or whatever at some point.
Numbers wise not saying like their game is still not gonna,
you know, take a leap. They have the second highest
assist percentage and Kaylea McBride returned to the starting lineup
(14:14):
when they played US. Lucky us that we got the
return of k Mack and in her three games back,
she's averaging thirteen points, three rebounds, three assists, and shooting
fifty percent from three.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
So k Mack came.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Into the starting lineup and she said, I know y'all
missed me here. I am I didn't miss the beat.
She fits again in that system seamlessly. And then the
dynamic duo of Courtney Williams and Nafisa Collier are averaging
over forty points per game just the two of them.
So that's another three headed snake right there. And again
it's another team when you think about them, like, yes,
(14:49):
Fee is MVP candidate playing out of her mind, but
you still think of like the links, like the team,
and I think that's also like their superpowers, just like
the Liberty and just be like, oh, if we stop
this one, like they're gonna be dead, or if you
stop this one, they're gonna be dead. Like no, Like
that's a very hard team to guard. Their hard team
to play against, and we played them pretty tight when
(15:12):
we were in Minnesota. But like watching them actually one
of the games I actually played in, like they they
got it together. So they're another team that just is
going to continue to improve.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
I think, Lexie, I'm curious. Obviously basketball is a team sport,
so duh. But we've seen different types of great teams,
superstar led great teams, and like you're what you're describing,
which is you don't know who's gonna go off on
any given night type of teams which one are is
(15:47):
the WNBA leaning more towards as the future is coming
because you know, the style is always changing, and these
are the teams on top. So is this what fans
have to look forward to getting used to?
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Yeah, I mean, I think historically those are the teams
that have in the WNBA. When you have a lot
of talented players and you have a coach that knows
where to put these players. That's a whole job within
itself too, is making sure that you're putting your stars
and you're putting your talented players in situations for them
(16:17):
to be successful.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
And that's not always easy.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
And then in turn those players have to now buy
in into these situations, which might not always be the
situation that they want. So it's up like I'll use
Courtney as I've never i haven't had a conversation with
Courtney about this, but I've played with Courtney in Connecticut
and I've watched her again. I played against her in college.
She's not a she didn't come into the league to
(16:40):
be a point guard. She didn't come into the league
to run a team. But she is great when she
has the ball in her hands and It took her
being on the super talented Links team for her coach
to be like, you are really great with the ball,
you are a threat from the mid range, and you
can You're a very underrated passer.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
You need to be the point guard of this team.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
And I'm sure Courtney at first was like, I'm not
a point guard, Like what are you Like? This is
a very hard position, but she's embraced it and now
she looks like one of the best point guards in
the league right now, and she's playing like it and
her confidence is sky high. So it's having that type
of relationship with your team, your teammates, your coaching staff
to make a whole team work. But you look at
(17:24):
teams of the past, like even that Minnesota Lynk's dynasty team, like.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
They had five Hall of Famers on their team.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
So yes, and that requires buy in, Like not everybody
wants to go, like you said, pretty much everybody in
the WNBA, because as we've spoken about so many times,
everybody is so talented and it's so hard to hold
and take a spot in that league. But outside of that,
every player being a player that could go be a
(17:52):
star somewhere and choosing to buy into a system where
they might not be in the position that they are
there for or want to be, or be the main
girl in the main star.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
That requires buy in from.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
Those players, and it's a two way street.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
So yeah, I think historically that's how teams have been
successful in the W I think it's going to continue
that way because everybody in this league is so talented
and everybody has a platform, everybody has a brand, So
you don't have a ton of like no name under
the radar players coming in that you can kind of
draft and just kind of like hide away on the bench,
(18:30):
because you're gonna have people be like, well, what happened
to this player?
Speaker 4 (18:33):
Like why isn't this player playing right?
Speaker 3 (18:35):
But sometimes things happen like you're not in the rotation
or you're just not fitting in with that team, And
that happens sometimes too. But again, it's not as easy
to just allow those situations to fester as it has
been in the past because one, our visibility as a
whole in the league is bigger. It's more so people
are looking at some of these teams that are doing really,
(18:56):
really well and like, oh, like they're doing really well,
Like what they got going on is cool. But then
you look on we're here, the teams may be struggling
a little bit, and you're like, well, on paper, they
look just as good as this team or that team,
so like what they got going on over there? So
it's all a journey, it's all a process. But I
think you know, the teams that have the most buying
obviously are the most successful. But I think that's like
(19:16):
in all sports.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Well, you want to know what team?
Speaker 4 (19:19):
I want to talk about your team at at?
Speaker 3 (19:23):
What?
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Who?
Speaker 4 (19:24):
We also just played in last to.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Lexi, and you know, I'm always rude for.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
You girls, but that's my city.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Whatever.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
We are five and two, No, you guys, we are
five and two. What is one of the num we're saying?
Because I listen, can somebody roll back the tape of
me saying in our preseason video I was like, I
think we're going to be better than and then all
of the all the research I did, Lexi, everybody's like,
let's manage expectations.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
So what happened, Lexi?
Speaker 4 (19:57):
Okay?
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Well what I will say, okay, numbers for so their
net rating is five point three, which is fifth in
the league, so not horrible, top half of the league.
Their assist percentage is seventy percent, which is fifth in
the league. So what I will say about this Atlanta
Dream Team is this new coach, like I said, he
(20:19):
wants to play fast, and he wants to shoot a
lot of threes because that's how that's how he coached
that Florida Gulf Coast. My main concern with the Dream
was how were they going to manage that pace and
style of play playing double bigs in BG and free jones.
So from what I saw in our game against the
Dream is he benched VG in the second half, so.
Speaker 4 (20:46):
We were up big. Actually we were actually.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
Had a nice, little comfortable lead that game, and he said,
you know what, changing everything. I'm going one big one
center because Nas came in and whipped our on the
offensive glass. But so shout out to Nas because she's
a little energizer bunny, and I've always loved that and
appreciated that about her game. So yeah, I mean, he
(21:10):
stars don't get sat down often in the W You
don't see that, and we saw I saw with my
own eyes another game I did not play in. So
I'm watching all these things very closely. I want to
say that Ryan Howard and Alisha Gray might be the
most underrated backcourt in the WNBA. Rian is averaging seventeen
(21:30):
points right now, and she has been averaging seventeen points
per game the last two seasons, so she's very consistent
with her scoring. Alisha Gray is averaging twenty one points
per game up I think, five or six points from
her average last season, and she's shooting forty four percent
from the three. So what they got going on in Atlanta,
(21:50):
it's it looks good and they're doing all of this
without their starting point guard Jordan Canada.
Speaker 1 (21:56):
So who coming back would push us into another strato
sphere I fear.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
I think I think so too, especially with how fast
y'all be playing like now.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
I will say it's funny that you mentioned the benching
Biggs Stars situation because that's exactly what I was hoping
would occur when we were playing The Fever and Stay
from Marina.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
Because.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
That game was a visual representation of exactly what you
were talking about.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
He wants to play super fast.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
That would have worked a little better against.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Them, and it just wasn't. It just wasn't happening.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
So I think that having a coach that is willing
to make those adjustments.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
And that's all it was. Guys.
Speaker 3 (22:47):
Before you're like, oh she said, bj got bench, Like yeah,
like you get sat down, like I'm on a permanent
benching right now.
Speaker 4 (22:54):
Like I know what it's like.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Sometimes you just this ain't Joe moment, the end, move on,
next game. She might play the whole game and score
thirty Like it's not that serious.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
It's about and every game requires something different.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Yeah, it's all about making adjustments.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
And they made a major adjustment in the second half
of the I think we were up eleven or twelve
at halftime.
Speaker 4 (23:15):
So yeah, the Dream, like.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
They look good and they had some good contributions coming
off the bench. Their bench is like solid, like they're
not gonna like score a ton of points, but they're
gonna come in and provide energy and do what they
need to do.
Speaker 4 (23:30):
And yeah, so shout out to the Dream.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
I'm mad that y'all beat us, because you know that
was one of those games. If y'all we'll get into
my situation in a second, but if y'all know what
it's like to be on the bench, Like sometimes you
see that score, that.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
Margin growing and growing, and you're.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Like, dang, I'm gonna get in this game and then
the margin shrinks. I actually played nine games. I actually
played nine minutes this game. The game I didn't play
was the last one in Vegas. But I played nine
minutes and then the lead went away and then that
was it for me.
Speaker 4 (24:03):
So I was like, oh, okay, well, well.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Lexi, you can you can go into more detail about
your POV because right now we're doing a check in
with what's going on with the Storm. I'm gonna give
the people a little overview. First of all, I'll say
the Storm and not y'all, because I will I won't
insert you into everything that has occurred. But the Storm
currently holds a three and four record, having lost their
(24:27):
last three games. Their most recent defeat was a close
seventy five to seventy loss to the Las Vegas Aces,
who seem to come in with some We're going to
get our look back to have energy on Sunday, and yeah,
Gaby Williams led with twenty points and some reserves contributed
(24:47):
significantly in a late game rally.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
But I want to know what you think, Lexi.
Speaker 4 (24:54):
So first we'll get into our numbers.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
So our net rating is negative point four, which is bad.
You don't want to be a negative ever in net ratings,
so that's where we are. But it is seventh overall
in the league, so it's not the worst, but being
a negative is a no.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
No.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Our assist percentage is fourth, which means, which is good.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
A lot of our shots are.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Assisted, which means we share the ball and that is
absolutely true.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
So love that. I know.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
I didn't talk about this for the rest of the teams,
but we are still dead last and three point attempts,
so again, I'm going to keep my eye on that
number because that directly has impacted me a three point shooter,
So I think right now, I mean, we dealt with
an injury with Ac we lost her for one of
(25:49):
our games, and again a lot of new pieces, like
you have the core four from last season returning, and
then everybody else on the team is new. So that's
just something that we're working through as a team. I
feel like I do want to shout out Gabby Williams,
who's been playing out of her mind. I think a
(26:09):
lot of people have been shocked at how she's been playing,
only because they haven't seen her often in the w
because she's been playing overseas a lot but this is
a player that she's always been and she's even improved,
I think. And I've been seeing her, you know, develop
her three point shooting, her decision making, like she brings
the ball up a lot for us, So just seeing
(26:31):
her growth as a player. We were in the same
draft class, so I've been you know, watching her for
a long time. So she's been playing really well and
that makes me really happy for her, especially with you know,
the drama of prioritization and being in the w and
being in France and all that kind of stuff. So
to see her start the season this way has been
like really amazing for her me personally, Guys, I wish
(26:55):
I had an explanation as to.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
Why I haven't been seeing a lot of the playing.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I'm you know, all you can do is show up
and do what they ask you to do and be
a professional through it all, which is what I've been doing.
What I have not liked seeing is any of the
conversations surrounding my health. I'm not playing because I'm dealing
with sickness. I'm fine, I'm healthy, I'm good. I didn't
miss games because I was sick. I missed games because
(27:23):
I didn't know what I was sick with, and then
you have to figure out how to attack crone disease
with the medication, and then that's always the hardest part.
And once you get that settled, like everything's fine. So
anybody wondering, like, oh, she's sick again, she can't stay healthy,
Like no, Like I'm going to keep addressing this every week.
I'm fine, I feel great. I'm in the gym, I'm
(27:44):
shooting all the shots up. I don't know how many
more shots you can take as a shooter, but you
know you can't make shots that you don't have. But
I'm just being asked to be great in my role,
which is currently being a great teammate and just being
ready and that's all you can do. And that's what
professional sports is, unfortunately. Like I was talking to my
(28:05):
mom today about it, like it's still amazing being here,
the facility is still amazing, Like I love my teammates,
it's great, but like, ultimately, like this is a job,
Like I'm I didn't ask for this trade. I didn't
ask to be put in this situation. So it's just
something that I'm navigating. It's like waking up one day
you're at a job that you really like, in a
(28:26):
city that you really like, and then you get a
call from a job and be like, oh, you were
sending you to this job over there, good luck bye.
Speaker 4 (28:35):
Like that's ultimately what it is.
Speaker 3 (28:37):
So you can't do anything but be a professional through
it all and still grateful to be here. I have
a job, I'm employed, I'm living my dream.
Speaker 4 (28:45):
But it's hard to watch like your.
Speaker 3 (28:48):
Team struggle or your team lose and you're just sitting
there like like dang, Like I know I can contribute,
I know I can help, but you just got to
stay positive, which is what I'm what I'm trying to
do the best that I can.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
LEXI, thanks for being super honest.
Speaker 2 (29:02):
So that's about that.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
I think that people don't like to, you know, talk
about those those things, and I really appreciate you being
honest with us. But and I'm just from a number,
just from a number of perspective, you know, while you
were talking, I had to look up some numbers of
my own, and I will say it is interesting. The
Seattle Storm are last in three point attempts and the
(29:28):
New York Liberty or second right and first and three
pointers made. So I'm thinking to myself, at least in
the MNBA side of things, we find that when a
team wins a championship, obviously every team has their own
personnel and identity. However, as a basketball fan and a
(29:53):
sports fan in general, typically this happens in the NFL
as well. When a team wins a championship doing a
certain thing, it kind of starts to feel like the
recipe for winning becomes similar to that. And so I'm
just curious from your perspective as a professional, I feel
(30:14):
like taking more threes and or making more threes could
be beneficial to a.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Team, not just a Storm, any team.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, I just I don't know me personally, I feel like,
why isn't that something that can be prioritized more across
the board?
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Yeah, I mean, I feel like because there was like
such negative talk about there's too many threes, there's too
many threes, but it's like we're still not taking nearly
as many as the NBA teams are taking. But it's
like the Aces, like I said, have been leading the
league and scoring and it was because they're paced, and
(30:55):
then they were shooting a lot of threes.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
And their second and three.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
Yeah, like I thought that like this change would be
happening a little quicker as far as prioritizing, you know,
three point shots versus two point shots. Like you said,
you need to have a healthy combination of the two,
and you have to make The thing about the twos
is like you have to make them at a high level.
So you could make all the threes you want, but
(31:22):
like if you're missing twos easy twos, like you're not
gonna win that way either. So it's just finding the
healthy balance and like you said, having the right personnel
for it.
Speaker 4 (31:31):
So I'm I mean, I've y'all know me.
Speaker 3 (31:33):
I watch all the games, I'm watching all of our
film whatever, and some of the shots that I'm seeing
get put up. I'm just kind of like, Okay, well,
I'm just gonna sit here and wait for that opportunity.
Not that I want to go out and jack a
bunch of threes, Like that's also not what I want
to do.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
I'm an effishing player.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
I like to play basketball the right way, but I
also am not just delegated to playing outside the three
point line. Like I can score in other ways. I
can contribute in other ways. And I feel like, because
I talk so highly about.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
My three point shooting.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
When I get to the WNBA, I get like put
in like this three point shooter box, and I will
take a little bit of accountability for that because I
am very confident in my three point shooting because I
know how hard I work at it.
Speaker 2 (32:22):
As you should be.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
But I can do other things Like if anybody watched
me and Au this past year, I was doing a
lot of other types of scoring besides shooting threes, so right,
and you got a lot of praise for that. Yeah,
And it's something that I purposely did because I did
feel myself being put in that box in the WNBA
of oh, she can only shoot threes. If it's not
(32:46):
a three point shot, then she won't take it, or
we shouldn't give it for the ball if it's not
a three. And that's something that I mean, it's a
good reputation I have. I get to the few minutes
that I'm out on the court, I get defended. Like
I've made twenty five threes already this season, I've made zero,
so I've only shot four, but I've made I haven't
made any. But every time I step on the floor,
(33:08):
the respect is there, and that always makes me feel good.
At least because I am respected by my peers in
that aspect that she can shoot the ball, like, don't
let her get any easy looks. So that keeps me,
you know, confident and motivated whether I'm making ten threes
or making no threes, Like, I know the work that
I've put in. But the only real thing that has
(33:29):
really upset me about this is that, like, I will
never get into the three point contests doing this, I'm
going to have my own three point contests and live
stream it for y'all to watch.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
And that's what I'm I'm going.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
To live stream it while the actual three point contest
is going on. I know, I'm like, how am I
going to get into the three point contest?
Speaker 4 (33:50):
Ain't nobody seen me shooting? No damn three?
Speaker 1 (33:52):
Didn't you win the Gills Arena shooting contest?
Speaker 4 (33:55):
I beat the couch.
Speaker 3 (33:57):
I didn't win the actual competition, but yes, I beat
the couch. I'm the best shooter on the couch still officially.
Speaker 4 (34:03):
We had like a little mini.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Shootout like two months ago, and I didn't really shoot
that well, but that was it didn't count.
Speaker 4 (34:09):
I'm still the best shooter on the couch.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
But right right, we have a game tonight against Dallas,
Like I said, and this is a good opportunity to
turn to turn it around. Like no one is panicking,
but you don't ever want to go on a losing
streak at any point in your season, Like doesn't matter
what type of season you're having. Like when those losses
start to pile up, it's like it's difficult.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
It's very difficult.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
But the Chicago Sky team I was on, I wasn't
around for it, but they went on like a seven
or eight game losing streak and finished sixth place. Not
saying we're gonna finish six but again.
Speaker 4 (34:44):
It's not the end of the world.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
Like losing happens. So tonight is a great opportunity.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
And you're also not going to go on a seven
game losing streak.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Yeah, So tonight is a great opportunity for us to
turn around. Everyone's really locked in. We had a great
shoot around, learned a lot from film from last game.
So I'm excited for our game tonight. It's gonna be
a good one. And it's on ESPN, so y'all can
see me either on the corner on the bench, either way,
y'all will be able.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
To see me on ESPN.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
Okay, I watched the last time you guys played the
Wings too.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Oh so yeah, I didn't even play, I guess, so
they might be able.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
To throw me in there and be like surprise, like
you ain't see Lexi last game, so maybe you can
see her tonight. But like I said, great opportunity for
us tonight. So I'm really excited.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
Well, at the end of the day, we love in
the tunnel fits Lexi.
Speaker 4 (35:29):
You eating that up, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
There are three point contest for that you'd be winning.
Last team that we're gonna get into before we talk
a little bit about hardship contracts and educate you guys
a little bit because that goes into the situation we're
about to discuss, and that is the Indiana Fever, who
(35:55):
are two and four. No Caitlin Clark for now, but
Aliah Boston is thriving a playmaker. Lexi, Is this what
you expected with no Caitlin?
Speaker 3 (36:06):
Yeah, I mean you don't expect people to get injured obviously.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
Well last week when we discussed it.
Speaker 3 (36:12):
Oh yeah, I mean I was expecting maybe for dB
to like find her footing a little bit more. But
like I said, it is not easy to get used
to a new team, a new city, and then now
your point guard's down, So that's probably going to make
it a little bit harder for dB to like find
her rhythm. Some of their numbers net rating is six
(36:32):
point four, which is third. They have the lowest assists
percentage though, So when I see that number, I don't
want everyone's thoughts to be like, oh, they're selfish, they
don't pass the ball, like, No, they just have a
lot of players that can create their own shots.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
So is that because also Kaitlyn is not playing?
Speaker 3 (36:51):
Yeah, I mean because when you have that, when you
have the player that leads the league in assists, and
your assists percentage is that low, like it that doesn't
really like make sense, But again, like you have a
lot of players that can create their own shots, and
then yeah, they're as sis percentage has probably taken a
tumble since Caitlyn has been out. Oh their threes and
then surprisingly this probably also is because Kaitln has missed
(37:15):
some games. But they're eleventh and three point attempts at
twenty point three, so I thought they would be taking
way more threes than that. But even when Kaitlyn was playing,
like they were still like kind of middle bottom of
the list for three point attempts, So that was like
very surprising to me. But also, I think teams are
defending Caitlyn Clark a little bit better than last season.
(37:36):
You have a year of experience, a year of film
under your belt to figure that out. But yeah, this
goes back to our conversations about rosters spots, because you
could have your whole team and then three days later
you have seven players, which is basically what has happened
to the Indiana Fever. So they've lost multiple players to
(37:59):
injury and now have brought in players.
Speaker 4 (38:02):
On hardship contracts.
Speaker 3 (38:03):
Yeah, is there anything else you want to say about
the fever before we dive into hardship contracts.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
Well, they added Ari McDonald on hardship to hold hopefully
hang on while injured. But LEXI definitely give us a
little bit of hardship contracts one oh one.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
So we mentioned a hardship contract in one of our
previous episodes, but I was like, oh, we won't need
to get into that, and so like middle of the season,
but no, like here we are games seven to eight
for a lot of these teams, and we're already signing
hardship contracts. So what hardship contracts are. There are temporary
contracts that can be used if you get under the
minimum number of healthy players, which in our league is eight.
(38:44):
So some teams started this season with eleven, some teams
like us started with ten. So those hardship contracts can
kick in very fast. I think you get seventy five
percent of the veteran minimum. And just because they say
rest of the season like that doesn't mean like these
players are on the roster for the rest of the season.
(39:06):
They're just on the roster until the player that they're
replacing is back healthy.
Speaker 4 (39:11):
So you can still get like cut.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
But a lot of these contracts a lot Also, what
people don't understand, everybody that's not on a guaranteed deal
can right now. They can still be waived from their team.
So these non guaranteed players are still like, you can
get cut still right now, and a lot of people
don't realize that.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
So if a player on hardship comes in and goes off,
let's say and a player with a non guaranteed contract
may be hurt or something, and there let's say that
they're second the death chart for point guard and they're
hurt also, and then they sign a point guard for
hardship and that point guard goes off and they decide
they want to keep her for the rest of the season.
(39:53):
Would they then cut their second on the death art
point guard that is non guaranteed?
Speaker 4 (39:59):
I mean, technically, yes, they could do that. Wow. Is
that the right thing to do? Is that good karma?
Probably not?
Speaker 3 (40:10):
But if we're talking business of sports and business of
basketball and you have a hardship player come in and
go crazy, like, yes, that can absolutely happen.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
Does that typically happen?
Speaker 3 (40:22):
No, Usually just bring in the hardship player to meet
your player minimum. But there are cases like last year
for the Sparks that Odyssey came in and was starting
as a hardship player and now she's on a regular
contract the next year.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
So they're great opportunities, I.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
Asked, because it's a good opportunity.
Speaker 2 (40:42):
Yeah, it's a great many players getting waved.
Speaker 4 (40:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
So I'm like really happy for Airy because her getting
away from the Sparks was definitely surprising, So for her
to get a different opportunity on a Fever team that
actually can use her, I'm really excited for her and
really happy for her, because I'm sure she was and
expecting to get waved from the sparks either. So if
any of you guys were confused as to what a
(41:05):
hardship contract was, I hope that cleared a little.
Speaker 4 (41:09):
Bit of that confusion up.
Speaker 3 (41:11):
But also something else that has come up that has
probably confused people are players leaving to go play in Europe,
and you guys are probably like, I thought the European
season was the off season.
Speaker 4 (41:23):
Yeah it is, but there's euro Basket now.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
And if you guys don't know what euro Basket is,
it's it's the tournament that helps teams and countries qualify
for the Olympics. So players just get to leave and
be like breb, We're gonna go play for our countries
and we'll see y'all when we get back. So sometimes
teams will like temporarily suspend a player or they'll just
wave them.
Speaker 4 (41:46):
Completely like there's really it's like it is.
Speaker 3 (41:51):
It's a hard thing to explain to people, like why
do they just get to leave in the middle of
the season, and they're just like, well, because they can,
and you have obligations. Sorry, guys, this is my dog
growling here. He is Everyone say hi, to Canon Cannon.
Speaker 4 (42:10):
Hey, what are you growling at?
Speaker 2 (42:11):
It's so cute? Well, he was trying to t take
the mic.
Speaker 3 (42:14):
He's uh, but yeah, the EuroBasket because I remember my
second year in the league, I was trying to get
a Serbian passport to play on the Serbian national team,
and they wanted me to miss like the first half
of the w season to go get ready for the tournament.
Speaker 1 (42:33):
Why were you going to play in Serbia?
Speaker 3 (42:35):
Well, because when you have a passport from another country,
you can get paid more money overseas, and then you
can go on teams with more Americans on it because
technically you're not an American because teams overseas have caps
on how many Americans you can have on a roster.
So if you get a passport, you can be considered
(42:57):
a European player, so then they can like load up
on so like I don't know if you guys follow,
it's cool European and FOBA, but like there's like Fenner
Fenner and a lot.
Speaker 4 (43:09):
Of those euro League teams.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
You look over there and you're like, why do they
have so many WNBA players on their team. It's because
a lot of them have European passports. So they can
like put them all on the same team, which is
also why some of your players you are like, why
aren't they on the USA team, Well, because they got passports,
so they go play for other for other teams in
other countries.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
That is so interesting.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
Yeah, so I was this close to being Serbian, y'all.
I was real close, but it didn't work out that way.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
So you would have been cousins.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
I know, I know, but yeah, I literally like I was.
I was playing in Hungary at the time, so I
was like taking like little mini trips to Serbia trying
to get all that settled. I met with the coach
like it was like happening, and then they're like, oh, yeah,
you need to miss like the first half of your
w season, and I was like, I just got.
Speaker 4 (43:59):
Here, I can't.
Speaker 3 (44:02):
And then the rest is history. So yeah, that's the
euro Basket stuff. If you guys were wondering why players
just get to leave, it's just because I have fire obligations.
Speaker 1 (44:13):
One of the current top headlines going around as far
as the w is concerned is Cameron Brink basically saying
on her podcast that before the WBA adds more teams,
there needs to be more roster spots with what we're
talking about euro Basket.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
Departures, hardship contracts.
Speaker 1 (44:32):
Do you feel as though I think Portland is going
to be the next one to get a team, or
Toronto Toronto the tempo, but after that and it's even
out and so the commissioner's couple not be six and six.
Do you feel like before expanding there needs to be
more roster spots.
Speaker 3 (44:51):
I mean, I feel like both can happen. So if
there's a time for it to happen, it is now.
But it's something that needs to be negotiated in our
CBA or there just needs to be some type of
I was just talking about this on Ryl and Tarika's
podcast that there's a new league starting East Coast based
(45:13):
out of Jacksonville, because my dad is like consulting with it.
It's called Upshot, and it's going to be four teams
in different cities on the East Coast and it's like
going to be like a professional women's basketball league in
the summertime.
Speaker 4 (45:26):
And I was like, well, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (45:30):
This will also have to be written in the CBA
if they can figure something out with the w to
where you have players in this new league playing working out.
Maybe you give these coaches offenses that are typically ran
in the WNBA, so that there's a pool of players
(45:52):
that can be selected from instead of going to find
someone that is on their couch or at home, or
someone is like not waiting around for that opportunity because
they have another one somewhere else. Like sometimes players miss
out on this opportunity with the hardship contracts because they
accept their overseas contract or they go play somewhere else
(46:13):
in the summertime. So I feel like in our new CBA,
like we are one hundred percent in control of how
this moves forward, the roster spots, the team expansion, where
these hardship players come from, Like it all has to
we all have to work together to make it a
more realistic thing, like instead of just calling random people
(46:34):
to come fill in a roster spot.
Speaker 4 (46:36):
Like that doesn't it's not a good look for the league.
Speaker 3 (46:39):
It's a very stressful and weird situation for these players
that get caught in these hardship situations. And yeah, like
there's no reason why a professional basketball team should ever
have seven healthy players in right one of the season,
Like that's ridiculous. So yeah, I think that there's a
way that we can expand rosters and have the expansion teams,
(47:02):
because I think the expansion teams are amazing. But I
absolutely agree that these rosters need to be expanded. But
that's something that's written in the CBA, so I agree, you.
Speaker 4 (47:12):
Can't do anything about it right now.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
So yeah, like it's nice to just keep saying it
over and over and over. But I'm in these CBA conversations.
I'm on the committee. I'm our player representative for the
Players Association. Me a season vice president, Mekka is the president,
so we have like a lot and Ezzie is like
the second player reps. Like, we have a lot of
(47:35):
voices in these conversations. So I hope that a lot
of these players who are so vocal about things are
also in these conversations because their voices need to be heard.
Speaker 4 (47:44):
So the right people, the.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
People that are actually at the table, Like, if you
have a concern, like you need to be in these meetings.
You need to have these conversations because I know I
am because if everybody knows me, I have a lot
of concerns and opinions about a lot of things. But
you better believe I'm at those meetings and I'm talking
to Terry, and I'm talking to Mekka, and I'm bringing
things to the front and center that concerned me that
(48:05):
I think needs to be improved, that needs to be
better for the future of the league. So yes, I
think we all agree that rosters need expanding, and hopefully
that's something that we can get negotiated in the next CBA.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
I agree, and I'm proud of all of you for
making your voices heard. Lexi, I can't believe we're getting
these people out and under an hour.
Speaker 3 (48:27):
Under an hour, guys, like we are trying really hard.
So this was this was a record day, but we
got a lot. We talked about a lot, so we.
Speaker 4 (48:35):
Can do it. We can do it.
Speaker 3 (48:37):
We can make these tons. The episode is real efficient
and thought provoking.
Speaker 1 (48:42):
Lexai, good luck tonight. Can't wait to hear you.
Speaker 4 (48:45):
Yeah, I got a few laid out on my bed
right now.
Speaker 3 (48:47):
Actually, so, guys, this is like, after I get through
my scouting and film, the next part of my game
day routine is figuring out the fit. So if y'all
been watching me on the on the Gram, y'all been
seeing my outfits, I've and very proud of them. So
it's been one of the highlights of the season so
far has been the tunnel fits.
Speaker 1 (49:07):
For sure, it's the highlight of ours as well well.
Speaker 2 (49:11):
Thank you guys so much for listening.
Speaker 1 (49:12):
To this episode of Full Circle.
Speaker 2 (49:14):
We'll be back next week.
Speaker 4 (49:15):
See y'all.
Speaker 1 (49:16):
Thanks for listening to Full Circle. We'll be back next
week with more basketball.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
For the girls, by the girls. We want to hear
from you.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
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 Fuse. 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
(49:45):
and start listening.
Hosts And Creators
Lexie Brown
Mariah Rose
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!