October 22, 2024 • 28 mins
ESPN host, reporter and analyst Andraya Carter joins Sarah to answer more snake questions than anticipated, place the WNBA Finals’ brightest stars in the GOAT conversation, and to contemplate a burning question: did New York win… or did Minnesota lose? Plus, we show some love to Napheesa Collier’s incredible postseason, and some concern for commissioner Cathy Englebert’s game five fit.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're reviving
Sabrini an Escu with a champagne drip and chess compressions.
On today's show, the WIBA Finals celebration continues. We'll chat
with the ESPNS Andrea Carter about the sensational series between
the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Links, and we'll
reflect on the legacies of the matchup stars. Plus an
NWSL scoring sweep and Orlando streak of a different kind
(00:22):
and biased dresses. That's right, it's all coming up right
after this welcome back slices. Here's what you need to
know today. After the New York Liberties thrilling WNBA Finals win,
(00:43):
Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, blasted the officiating.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Take a listen.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I know all the headlines will be Reeve christ foul.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Bring it on, right, Bring it on, because this shit
was stolen from us.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Bring it on.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Reeve also took a jab at New York for the
team's five one hundred thousand dollars fine for illicit use
of charter flights in twenty twenty one, and a little
side jab at the Las Vegas ass for that franchise
is rule violation regarding player benefits.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Here's some more.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
You know what, we gave hope to those teams that
aren't willing to circumvent the cap or you know, fly
illegally or all this stuff that's happened over the last
five years, right, and so I mean, do it the
right way. It gives hope for those other teams that
you can build a team just like ours.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
You don't have to have a super team, right, you
don't have to have that. There's a different way to
do it. So I'm incredibly proud of them.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Meantime, Liberty coach Sandy Broundella was asked about Reef's comments
on officiating during her own postgame press conference.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Here's what Brondelo had to say.
Speaker 5 (01:41):
I thought that, yeah, pretty fair. I mean, last game,
you know, I mean, that's what you're gonna give and take.
Like again, number one, we should have won that game,
you know, close it out. But look, I have so
much respect for Cheryl and I have so much respect
for that Minnesota League because, ma'am, I mean, that was ugly,
(02:03):
but we found a way to win.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
At the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Both Brondelo and Reeve had called out bad officiating earlier
in the series, with a lack of consistency at the
center of their concerns. Always tough to have a major
championship a great series like that leave you with so
many questions about officiating, but certainly something for the league
to look into after complaints about officiating pretty much throughout
the season and postseason. Now in happier post title news,
(02:27):
The Liberty sat down with Robin Roberts on GMA on
Monday morning, and it was great to see the whole
team up on stage talking about the franchise's first win.
We got to do a little diggy to find out
why Sabrina Escu almost didn't make it. I think it
might be back to that Champagne trip we saw her
getting on Sunday when she was cramping up.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Try to take pictures with the trophy.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
More WNBA news, the WNBA Players Association announced that they're
opting out of their collective bargaining agreement. According to Cheneogumkay,
who broke the news on ESPN, the union's Executive Committee
and the Board of Player Representatives voted on Monday to
get out of their current CBA two years early. The
current agreement, which was initially set to expire in twenty
twenty seven, will still be in effect through next season.
(03:07):
Opting out just means that the union and the league
now have a year to negotiate a new deal, or
else there will be a work stoppage. Heading into the
twenty twenty sixth season, the union is likely to focus
on getting players bigger salaries and more financial incentives, especially
following the league's recent historic media rights deal valued at
two hundred million dollars per year. In a statement, WNBA
Commissioner kat the Engelbert said, quote, with the historic twenty
(03:29):
twenty four WNBA season now in the books, we look
forward to working together with the players and the WNBPA
on a new CBA that is fair for all and
lays the foundation for growth and success for years to come.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
End quote.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Elsewhere in the w We've got yet another new coaching vacancy,
as the Dallas Wings fired head coach Letricia Trammel on
Friday after just two seasons. Trammell's been a fan favorite
because of her charisma and her raw, unfiltered emotion, and
just last season, she helped the Wings to the franchise's
best record since eight, but this season injuries through a
wrench in Dallas's plan. Star forward Satusably missed twenty five
(04:02):
out of forty games with a shoulder injury, and two
time All Star Natasha Howard sat with a broken foot
that she suffered during the first game of the season.
There were more injuries to including promising young player Maddy
Segresse breaking her left index.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Finger and missing time.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
And to be honest, the rest of the league just
got better while the Wings didn't. They wrapped twenty twenty
four next to last in the league with a nine
to thirty one record. Trammell is the fourth head coach
to be fired since the twenty twenty four regular season ended,
joining Kurt Miller, Teresa Witherspoon, entity Schwreight to the NWSL.
Just days after breaking the NWSL single season goal record,
Kansas City's Tenwchiwenga became the first player in NWSL history
(04:38):
to score on every team in a single season. She
accomplished the feat by scoring her twentieth goal of the
season in a four to one victory over the San
Diego Wave. Also in the NWSL, the Orlando Pride lost
for a second time in as many games, falling to
Gotham three to one.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It's the first time.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Orlando has conceded three goals in one game this season.
A lot of tears and hugs this weekend as several
NWSL players were celebrated. Gotham and former national team star
Kelly O'Hara got a big retirement sendoff in New York.
NWSL legend and current Angel City player Merret Matthias was
honored in LA as she ends her career, and at
that same Angel City game, Kristin Press was recognized for
(05:15):
her one hundred caps in the NWSL. More NWSL news,
the playoffs are nearly set over the weekend. Utah, Angel City,
and San Diego were all eliminated from contention. That leaves
three teams in contention for the final two spots, Portland,
BAFC and Louisville. They'll have to wait a while to
see who makes the cut, as the NWSL is pausing
(05:35):
the regular season for a week for the NWSL Times
League Mxfeminial Summer Cup Championship game, taking place between Kansas
City and Gotham this Friday night. The final week of
regular season action will be the weekend of November first,
Also in soccer news, more than one hundred players are
protesting FIFA's sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabian oil giant ORAMCO.
One hundred and six international athletes, including former US national
(05:59):
team captain and current Thorns player Becky Souerbrun, signed a
letter calling out Saudi Arabia's human rights violations against women
and members of the Lgbtqia plus community, as well as
Saudi Aramco's environmental impact. The four year FIFA Aramco partnership
includes sponsorship rights for the twenty twenty seven Women's World
Cup in Brazil. The letter calls the deal a quote
(06:19):
middle finger to women's soccer end quote, and cites a
list of women in Saudi Arabia who have been punished
after speaking up for women's rights. FIFA seems to be
unphased and unwilling to budge. In a statement to multiple
news outlets, the soccer Federation said it quote values its
partnership with Aramco and its many other commercial and rights
partners end quote. We got to take a quick break
(06:41):
when we come back. It's the mother of nothing.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Andrea Carter.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Joining us now. She's a host, analyst and reporter for ESPN.
Covering the WNBA, the MNBA, and Women's and men's college hoops.
She graduated from Universe See of Tennessee with her bachelor's
degree in communications and her master's degree in kinesiology. Was
part of the last hoops class to sign under the
Late Pat Summit, and before injury sidelined her, she made
ball handlers fear for their lives. She's a part of
(07:13):
ESPN's Big Three alongside Al Duncan in Cheneogum Makay a
Georgia native, and she loves the crap out of her
snake child named Nothing.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
It's Andrea Carter. What's up? Andrea?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
What's up? You said that nothing? He's just in his
little tank over here, just keeping me company.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
I was going to request that he be a part
of the interview, but I do want you to focus
on important things. Maybe at the end we'll we'll put
nothing in your arms, because we got to start with
the snake, actually, because I didn't believe that that was
yours when I first saw your photos a couple years ago.
I remember I slid into your DMS and I'm like,
what is happening? So can we get the brief story
on nothing? And just snakes in general.
Speaker 6 (07:49):
Yeah, so I had snakes growing up, Like as a child,
my biological dad had a snake.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
That's where it all started.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
And then my mom, when it was just her and I,
she got me a pet snake. Take me to the zoo,
and I would always want to see the snakes. I
have art like from elementary school where I drew snakes,
and when I.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Grow up, I will have a pet snake. Like it
was just always a thing.
Speaker 6 (08:11):
And my stepdad, who raised me most of my whole life,
came in when I was pretty young and he's like,
no snakes. And so as I got older, I was like,
when I go to college, I'm getting a snake. And
literally freshman year, a group of my friends I had
shoulder surgery that year started at the very beginning of
the season, was sidelined with an injury, had shoulder surgery,
and after getting through that rehab, which was brutal, I
(08:36):
do all my other surgeries before I did my shoulder again,
they got me a snake and I've had him since then.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
And that was twenty thirteen.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
So how long do snakes live?
Speaker 6 (08:47):
He could live like twenty to thirty years just here
in the wild. I think it decreases a little bit. Yeah,
but he's fed regularly and kept.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Saying do you need a snake watcher? Or can he
be alone while you're gone on your trips and be alone?
Speaker 6 (09:00):
I'll have someone to come. I have a few good friends.
One of my college teammates, Bashara, actually, so he was
raised with hers in Atlanta, So she'll come by and
just like change his water, take him out, kind of
play with him a little bit.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
But I've left him for a week at a time. Yeah,
someone comes to changes water.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
It's a little different from a dog sitter to be like,
will you come hang out with my snake?
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I love less work he eats does a month?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Does nothing have? Does nothing have?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I did not intend on asking this many snake questions,
but now I'm in. Does nothing have the kind of
scales that are super like buttery feeling like super soft?
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Yeah, yes, like he is.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
I've handled several snakes and some of them are like, truly,
I hate to say it feels like a beautiful bag,
because you know that's insulting to the snake population. But
some of them are a little scalier and gross. But
then the buttery ones, like I'm in I'm in.
Speaker 6 (09:50):
And he's iridescent. When he sheds like he gets super irridesent.
Take him outside and he's the best.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
He's okay, Well nothing, I'm sorry for even invoking the
idea of pursus.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
I am anti snakes purse. Okay, important stuff.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
WNBA Finals and the game five overtime win for the
Liberty on Sunday or was it a loss? Drea give
it to a straight Did the Liberty win or did
many lose?
Speaker 5 (10:16):
Ugh?
Speaker 6 (10:17):
I Ah, that's so tough because obviously two things are true.
But for me, I'm just like Minnesota lost it, or
like or it was like was it taken from Minnesota?
And this is the hard part, right because obviously there's
so much nuance, and it's never black and white.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
There's always a gray area.
Speaker 6 (10:35):
So there are going to be people that said that
was not a foul on Atlanta Smith. There are also
which I was so mad at myself when watching the replay,
I was so focused on the foul and where Alanta
Smith was sliding and watching that I didn't notice the
travel that could have been called on Briennasto caught the ball.
So there are so many things where people could be
(10:57):
like if if that call went the other way, or
if that call wasn't called at all, what would have happened, Like,
who knows what that would what would have happened. Would
Minnesota have gotten the ball or if they overturned the
foul call, then maybe would they have done a jump
ball and then would Minnesota have gotten that or would
they been able to set their defense? And then on
the other side, for the Liberty side, it's also like, yeah,
(11:17):
but there was still five seconds left, so who knows
what would have happened. We still could have tied it.
And then there's also the main group of people I
think that are like, you know, but there was still
five minutes left in overtime to go win it, and
so there's so many that's that's the beautiful thing.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
About the game and the frustrating thing about the game
is there's all this gray area.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
Obviously, hats off to the New York Liberty for winning,
because they went like, at the end of the day,
they can't what was what was.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
New York supposed to do?
Speaker 6 (11:45):
It be like, oh, actually she didn't foul me and
I traveled, so we're not gonna like you play the
game that the refs call and so you can't be like, oh,
New York shouldn't have to do done, and they dominated overtimes,
so I'd say New York won it in Minnesota lost.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
And there we go. Yeah, we get you muted on
around the horn.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
I want you to know that, but in this show
will allow you to have the nuance of both being true.
Thank you, Thank you, ronwall Jones. What does this mean
for her? The finals MVP? Adding that to her legacy.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
It's huge. And you know, John Quall is the player.
She's so kind like, she is such a kind like.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
She's someone that you just actively root for, and she's
someone that's also experienced heartache.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
At Connecticut, she had.
Speaker 6 (12:31):
Opportunities to win a championship with really good teams and
the makeup of those teams was obviously something that she
felt like she had to step away from and couldn't
find success there, and then has this opportunity with New
York and there's so much attention on them last year,
and last year seemed difficult from the outside looking in
like and figuring out where she now fits with the Liberty,
(12:54):
and then this year for her to almost come into
her own again and know her role and just be
so consistent all season long and then so consistent in
the finals and have her moment where she is so celebrated.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
It's wonderful. You know, this is a.
Speaker 6 (13:09):
Player for me with John Cuell, I don't think she's
celebrated enough and that we could do a better job
of that in the media.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
She wasn't celebrated when she won the MVP Award. She
wasn't celebrated.
Speaker 6 (13:20):
If there's a beautiful article written about it after the fact,
but that was almost written about how she wasn't celebrated enough. Yeah,
and so you know, she is a player that deserves it.
She's a center that can score.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
From all three levels.
Speaker 6 (13:33):
She shot fifty percent from the field, forty from three
to ninety percent from the free throw line. That Minnesota
really had no answer for John Quell and she was
the key to their victory. So I think just as
far as being a matchup nightmare and being a consistent
presence to win a championship, that is now added to
her resume, and I think it's great.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
She deserves it.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Yeah, you mentioned that she's sort of the intersection of
so many things that we talk about in this league
that are off underappreciated, woman of color, queer woman, masculine
presenting big right. We love our guards, we love our
you know, flashy, and she just gets the job done.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
From six Women of the Year to season MVP, now.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Finals, MVP Champion, plenty of All Defense, plenty of All
Star appearances.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Where does her career fit into the best all time?
Speaker 1 (14:22):
For you?
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Wow?
Speaker 6 (14:24):
Yeah, I mean I would definitely say John CLO's up there.
I mean, how many players in the league have an
MVP and a championship like that alone? Puts her in
a group or in a tier that is above a
lot of players, and she could she still hopefully has
a lot of time left and her game actually still
has room to grow.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
And depending on whether she.
Speaker 6 (14:46):
Stays with New York or where she goes next, you know,
she's absolutely a player who could win another MVP if
she wanted to win another championship if she wanted to.
So I think that there are obviously the players that
won multiple championships multiple they're in the tier of their own.
But John Quell's almost in that middle space, you know,
(15:06):
where she's like above the majority of the players, and
she's reaching for that top tier. And I think it's
special and it's also a testament to you know, John
Quell is a player that left her family and her
the Bahamas and to come here and play basketball. So
her story and her testament to almost betting on herself
(15:27):
when she went to New York, it's really cool. But yeah,
she's she's she's moving into the top tier, but she is.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
She's well above the majority, well.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And so consistent across this series, which was what the
Liberty needed because you look at Stewie and Sabrina big missus,
big makes, but big misses, lots of misses. It felt
like roller coaster esque for both of them throughout this
five games.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Where does Stewie fit into the goat conversation now?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Because it's odd that she ends up winning this title
and is a part of this team and adds that
to a resume that is almost unmatched. But also throughout
this series, I saw a lot of conversation about how
Nafisa Collier was the one who would now slid into
right behind Asia Wilson as opposed to Brianna Stewart. Yeah,
I mean what a season that fee had, right, Like,
Nefisa was absolutely amazing.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
What have for sure?
Speaker 6 (16:16):
One MVP if the Minnesota Links would have won like
the Pole playoffs and her final series was just phenomenal.
The defense that she played against Brianna Stewart. When you
talk about this season, Nafisa is one hundred percent like
right behind Asia Wilson.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
It was.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
It was clear as day.
Speaker 6 (16:34):
When you get into the larger conversation of where people
stand in this league, Stewie has created separation.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
With the MVPs and with the championships, But.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
When you get into who's catching up as just as
far as individual presence an individual, as far as being
effective goes as an individual, Fees up there.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Fee's right there.
Speaker 6 (16:56):
When you watch those two go one on one, it
was phenomenal and Fee often won those matchups, but they
the way that they battled and for me, fees on
her way, Like, I absolutely think Nafisa will win an MVP.
Nefisa Callier will win a championship. It might be multiple
her games. She's so tough to guard and like she
is a player that has perfected.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
The fate the faded way. Like think about how many
players in the league, in the w and in the NBA.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
That have almost perfected that shot to the point where
it's unguardable. She already has that in her bag. She's
not even having to add that. Now she's going to
add everything else. So for me, v is catching up.
You know, she had a couple of tough seasons just
with Minnesota in general, but Fee as a player individually
is coming into her own and I think she'll move
(17:46):
into again. Like we're witnessing players that will be marked
as some of the greatest we've ever seen, which is
so cool.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Do you think Minnesota could have the firepower to make
another run next season if the roster doesn't get changed
too much?
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
I actually think Minnesota could be a team that makes
a move similar to the New York Liberty because coming
into this season right New York added Leoni Foebish and
then they trusted that Niaresabeli would kind of come into
your own, which she did to perfection.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Shout out to her, because what a performance. I could
see Minnesota.
Speaker 6 (18:19):
They could definitely go and try to get a big name,
which would also totally work, but I could also see
them doing something where I'm as an analyst at the
beginning of the season being like, wait, that's.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
It said, and you were like and she shut me up.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Yeah, and she did, And I love that.
Speaker 6 (18:33):
Like, the one thing I will do is coll as
beta Spade when it happens, and then collas beta.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Spade in reflection whether I'm right or wrong.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
And uh, you know, I think Minnesota for me, they
were such a tight knit group. Like when I was
watching them play, there were times where I was like,
Minnesota has the better team, like in terms of the
team and the way they mesh and the way they
(19:02):
celebrate each other and the way it looks like they
just play with so much joy. But the Liberty at
times had better pieces, right, talented and more daces yep, yeah,
and more depth exactly. So if Minnesota kind of the
way New York did, they add a couple of pieces
that maybe people are like, but it adds to their death.
I think Kaylea McBride and a Fisa Collier can absolutely
(19:25):
lead a team. Courtney Williams coming into her own in
that point guard position.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
That's where I wonder what they'll do.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
Will they keep her as the point guard or will
they kind of move her into her more natural spot
if she thinks her natural spot is the two what's
that conversation with Courtney and where does she feel her best, Like,
is that there big three and they try to add
support or do they try to bring someone else big in.
There's so many things that could happen, But I think
this team with a tweak, like it doesn't have to
(19:52):
be a big change. The Minnesota Links with a tweak
could win a championship.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
I mean this offseason there's gonna be a ton of
disc gushion around the super teams and the teams that
got it done because of coaching and balance and vibes
like the Links. But also there's gonna be a big
shake up in the form of the Valkyries, the expansion draft,
and what it means for the league to build another
team next year, two more teams the year after.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
It's gonna look a lot different.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Do you have any idea who you think the Liberty
are going to core in the off season or Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Yeah, that's tough, obviously, I think, and I don't.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
I would if you're in Minnesota, you core a fee
of course, like you you have to keep her, You
have to keep Nafisa Callier. She is, you know, one
of one in her own right, And I know we
use that term loosely, but there really isn't necessarily a
player like the FISA caller when it comes to footwork,
when it comes to the fade away, when it comes
to her defensive presence, and when it comes to her
(20:50):
poise like NAFISA callier is so she almost just looks
unbothered when I watched her play unfazed. Yes, like we
saw that exactly, and like I love if she gets
fired up. But I think they would core her if
they had to. If you could pick one, right, I
think would be in a FISA and for New York.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
I think it's interesting. I think it would.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
To me, I would just course Stewie, like Stewie does
so much for you, uh, because she could play all
five positions, So that to me is.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Something that you you don't want to let go of.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
It's just gonna be fun to watch the Valkyries create
a brand new team and see who hangs on to whom.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
All right, last two quickies.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Kathy Engelbert's dress featuring the New York skyline? Is this
are we feeding into Minnesota conspiracy theories?
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Should Kathy have taken a hard look at the mirror
and said, I don't know if this is the right choice.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Probably.
Speaker 6 (21:45):
I like, yeah, like you wear one and we get
we get it all the time now and it's kind
of like phased.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
Out now that I'm more in studio.
Speaker 6 (21:53):
But when I used to call games, it was like
a big thing, like you don't wear the team's color.
You never wear the team's color, supecially not the home
team color, but don't wear any team's color at all.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Is studio, it's a little bit different. Like I'm in
the studio.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
I'm just grabbing as many you know, suits as I
can to be here for twelve days, and sometimes I'm
just not thinking. But I do think the skyline of
the city was a little crazy, like I maybe come
in in a certain fit, yeah, and then change into it,
but then have a Minnesota dress also to believe that
(22:26):
you weren't picking sides.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
I don't know how many brands are making Minnesota skyline
dresses unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
But also East Coast bias.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
But also I feel like in her mind, she was like, oh,
it's Game five, We're in New York. It's just about yes,
you know, and I'm from New York. But I would
have said just stay away from that just in case.
All right, Finally, unrivaled. How excited are you for this league?
Do you have any bold predictions about you know, I mean,
obviously a great TV deal, obviously a great chance to
(22:54):
see some of the superstars we love from the W.
But any bold predictions about the format or someone who
might show and that's unexpected in that format.
Speaker 6 (23:01):
Oh, I think it's gonna be. Oh, I think it's
gonna be so much fun. Like, I think it's gonna
be amazing to watch. I'm so excited. I will be
down in Miami as a like, hanging out watching games.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
I can't wait. And it's just new, Like anytime there's
a new format. The three at three on three in
itself is a completely different game. It's so much fun
to watch.
Speaker 6 (23:25):
Like you can watch a player, you know, like a
Rique Goomba Walle just cook, like just b one on
one matched up and she'll have so many opportunities to
cook and create and and we'll see, you know, obviously,
bring a student a Fisa Collier, those two as business.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Partners, like a better for I know than the finals.
I'm I'm excited.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
I called it h I called it Tampa City, USA.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Everyone said it's Tampa Bay because it's down in Florida, Andrea,
we love you so much. Thank you for making time
after an incredibly busy run here with the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Thanks so much for coming on.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
We got to take another break when we come back.
Conspiracy Coup Tour, Welcome Back Slices. The WNBA season is
technically over, but we can't stop thinking about this final series.
So in honor of all the shots, blocks, steals and
sellies that are still taking up space in our brains,
(24:21):
it's time for the moment we can't stop talking about,
presented by DraftKings, and for me, It'snfisa Collier changing her
future with a season and a postseason that left no
doubt about her place among the league's very best. Fee
has cemented her status as a no doubt MVP candidate
heading into next season, a player who we are certain
(24:42):
will be hot on the heels of the current Queen
Las Vegas Aces, Asia Wilson.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Just listen to these numbers.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
This playoffs, Nafisa Collier set the WNBA record for points
in a single postseason. In the finals, she averaged nineteen points,
eight rebounds, two point six assists, three point four steals,
and one point eight blocks while shooting forty nine point
four percent from the field. Her seventeen steals in the
finals marked the most ever by a player in a
WFA Final series, besting Tamika Ketching's previous record of sixteen
(25:10):
in the two thousand and nine WNBA Finals.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
She led her team in four major.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Statistical categories during these finals, points, rebounds, steals, and blocks.
Last night, she also surpassed to Meka Catchings for most stocks,
steals and blocks in a single postseason with her forty
eighth and also tied Nakisha Sales for second most steals
in a postseason with her twenty fifth. Nafisa Collier, you
deserve some flowers for the effort that you put up
(25:36):
for the links, despite it being a losing effort in
the finals, So shouts to Fee. We can't wait to
watch you next season. Download the Draftking Sportsbook app now
and use code good Game. New customers can match us
five bucks to get two hundred dollars instantly in bonus
bets only on Draftking Sportsbook with code good Game, the
crown is yours. We always love that your list in,
(25:57):
but we want you to get in the game every
day too, So here's our good game play of the day.
It's just one last reminder to fill out our survey.
A huge thank you to the hundreds of you who
have already filled it out.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
We want to make this show as great as possible
for you and we need your feedback to do that.
So click the link in the show notes take two
minutes to fill it out, or you can find it
on my Twitter at Sarah Spain and if you fill
it out, you'll be entered to win a prize pack.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Thanks slices.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
We always love hearing from you, and if you got
something you think we should know about, send it our way.
Good game at wondermediaetwork dot com or leave us a
voicemail at eight seven two two o four fifty seventy
like Tim Lowell, who's been keeping us updated on the
Women's T twenty Cricket World Cup, and he let us
know that Team New Zealand, losers of ten straight T
twenty international matches, coming in surprise, they won the whole
(26:43):
damn thing. Tim told us it's the first time in
any Women's World Cup that neither England nor Australia played
in the final, and it's the first year that the
international Cricket Council introduced equal prize money for its men's
and women's tournaments, So good timing and congrats.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
To the Kiwis. Don't forget to subscribe, Rate and review slices.
It's it's easy.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Watch WNBA commissioner Kathy Engelbert wearing a dress featuring the
New York skyline to Game five of the WNBA Finals.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Rating weirdness, review, fashion aside.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
It's not a great look for the commissioner of the
league to show up to any game, let alone a
decisive Game five in a dress that clearly picks a side. Now,
there are some Minnesota fans out there who felt like
the fix was in, and you might have convinced him
it was just standard fan paranoia until they saw that
Empire State building planted right between Kathy's collarbone and hips.
Heads up for Nwslchemish Jessica Berman, be very careful when
(27:34):
selecting your fit for the championship next month. We're all
watching now, it's your turn, slices, Rate and Review.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Thanks for listening. See you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Good game, Andrea, good game, New York Liberty. Yes again
if you win your franchise's first title of twenty eight years.
You deserve a couple back to back good games and
use sponsorship deals with companies that cause harm to humans
and the environment.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Good game with Sarah Spain.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
It's an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are Alex Azzie
and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz,
Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Emily Rudder,
Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and Lindsay Cradowell. Production assistant from
(28:22):
Lucy Jones and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain.
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're reviving
Sabrini an Escu with a champagne drip and chess compressions.
On today's show, the WIBA Finals celebration continues. We'll chat
with the ESPNS Andrea Carter about the sensational series between
the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Links, and we'll
reflect on the legacies of the matchup stars. Plus an
NWSL scoring sweep and Orlando streak of a different kind
(00:22):
and biased dresses. That's right, it's all coming up right
after this welcome back slices. Here's what you need to
know today. After the New York Liberties thrilling WNBA Finals win,
(00:43):
Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, blasted the officiating.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Take a listen.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I know all the headlines will be Reeve christ foul.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Bring it on, right, Bring it on, because this shit
was stolen from us.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Bring it on.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Reeve also took a jab at New York for the
team's five one hundred thousand dollars fine for illicit use
of charter flights in twenty twenty one, and a little
side jab at the Las Vegas ass for that franchise
is rule violation regarding player benefits.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Here's some more.
Speaker 4 (01:11):
You know what, we gave hope to those teams that
aren't willing to circumvent the cap or you know, fly
illegally or all this stuff that's happened over the last
five years, right, and so I mean, do it the
right way. It gives hope for those other teams that
you can build a team just like ours.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
You don't have to have a super team, right, you
don't have to have that. There's a different way to
do it. So I'm incredibly proud of them.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Meantime, Liberty coach Sandy Broundella was asked about Reef's comments
on officiating during her own postgame press conference.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Here's what Brondelo had to say.
Speaker 5 (01:41):
I thought that, yeah, pretty fair. I mean, last game,
you know, I mean, that's what you're gonna give and take.
Like again, number one, we should have won that game,
you know, close it out. But look, I have so
much respect for Cheryl and I have so much respect
for that Minnesota League because, ma'am, I mean, that was ugly,
(02:03):
but we found a way to win.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
At the end of the day.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Both Brondelo and Reeve had called out bad officiating earlier
in the series, with a lack of consistency at the
center of their concerns. Always tough to have a major
championship a great series like that leave you with so
many questions about officiating, but certainly something for the league
to look into after complaints about officiating pretty much throughout
the season and postseason. Now in happier post title news,
(02:27):
The Liberty sat down with Robin Roberts on GMA on
Monday morning, and it was great to see the whole
team up on stage talking about the franchise's first win.
We got to do a little diggy to find out
why Sabrina Escu almost didn't make it. I think it
might be back to that Champagne trip we saw her
getting on Sunday when she was cramping up.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Try to take pictures with the trophy.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
More WNBA news, the WNBA Players Association announced that they're
opting out of their collective bargaining agreement. According to Cheneogumkay,
who broke the news on ESPN, the union's Executive Committee
and the Board of Player Representatives voted on Monday to
get out of their current CBA two years early. The
current agreement, which was initially set to expire in twenty
twenty seven, will still be in effect through next season.
(03:07):
Opting out just means that the union and the league
now have a year to negotiate a new deal, or
else there will be a work stoppage. Heading into the
twenty twenty sixth season, the union is likely to focus
on getting players bigger salaries and more financial incentives, especially
following the league's recent historic media rights deal valued at
two hundred million dollars per year. In a statement, WNBA
Commissioner kat the Engelbert said, quote, with the historic twenty
(03:29):
twenty four WNBA season now in the books, we look
forward to working together with the players and the WNBPA
on a new CBA that is fair for all and
lays the foundation for growth and success for years to come.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
End quote.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
Elsewhere in the w We've got yet another new coaching vacancy,
as the Dallas Wings fired head coach Letricia Trammel on
Friday after just two seasons. Trammell's been a fan favorite
because of her charisma and her raw, unfiltered emotion, and
just last season, she helped the Wings to the franchise's
best record since eight, but this season injuries through a
wrench in Dallas's plan. Star forward Satusably missed twenty five
(04:02):
out of forty games with a shoulder injury, and two
time All Star Natasha Howard sat with a broken foot
that she suffered during the first game of the season.
There were more injuries to including promising young player Maddy
Segresse breaking her left index.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Finger and missing time.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
And to be honest, the rest of the league just
got better while the Wings didn't. They wrapped twenty twenty
four next to last in the league with a nine
to thirty one record. Trammell is the fourth head coach
to be fired since the twenty twenty four regular season ended,
joining Kurt Miller, Teresa Witherspoon, entity Schwreight to the NWSL.
Just days after breaking the NWSL single season goal record,
Kansas City's Tenwchiwenga became the first player in NWSL history
(04:38):
to score on every team in a single season. She
accomplished the feat by scoring her twentieth goal of the
season in a four to one victory over the San
Diego Wave. Also in the NWSL, the Orlando Pride lost
for a second time in as many games, falling to
Gotham three to one.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
It's the first time.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Orlando has conceded three goals in one game this season.
A lot of tears and hugs this weekend as several
NWSL players were celebrated. Gotham and former national team star
Kelly O'Hara got a big retirement sendoff in New York.
NWSL legend and current Angel City player Merret Matthias was
honored in LA as she ends her career, and at
that same Angel City game, Kristin Press was recognized for
(05:15):
her one hundred caps in the NWSL. More NWSL news,
the playoffs are nearly set over the weekend. Utah, Angel City,
and San Diego were all eliminated from contention. That leaves
three teams in contention for the final two spots, Portland,
BAFC and Louisville. They'll have to wait a while to
see who makes the cut, as the NWSL is pausing
(05:35):
the regular season for a week for the NWSL Times
League Mxfeminial Summer Cup Championship game, taking place between Kansas
City and Gotham this Friday night. The final week of
regular season action will be the weekend of November first,
Also in soccer news, more than one hundred players are
protesting FIFA's sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabian oil giant ORAMCO.
One hundred and six international athletes, including former US national
(05:59):
team captain and current Thorns player Becky Souerbrun, signed a
letter calling out Saudi Arabia's human rights violations against women
and members of the Lgbtqia plus community, as well as
Saudi Aramco's environmental impact. The four year FIFA Aramco partnership
includes sponsorship rights for the twenty twenty seven Women's World
Cup in Brazil. The letter calls the deal a quote
(06:19):
middle finger to women's soccer end quote, and cites a
list of women in Saudi Arabia who have been punished
after speaking up for women's rights. FIFA seems to be
unphased and unwilling to budge. In a statement to multiple
news outlets, the soccer Federation said it quote values its
partnership with Aramco and its many other commercial and rights
partners end quote. We got to take a quick break
(06:41):
when we come back. It's the mother of nothing.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Andrea Carter.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Joining us now. She's a host, analyst and reporter for ESPN.
Covering the WNBA, the MNBA, and Women's and men's college hoops.
She graduated from Universe See of Tennessee with her bachelor's
degree in communications and her master's degree in kinesiology. Was
part of the last hoops class to sign under the
Late Pat Summit, and before injury sidelined her, she made
ball handlers fear for their lives. She's a part of
(07:13):
ESPN's Big Three alongside Al Duncan in Cheneogum Makay a
Georgia native, and she loves the crap out of her
snake child named Nothing.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
It's Andrea Carter. What's up? Andrea?
Speaker 3 (07:23):
What's up? You said that nothing? He's just in his
little tank over here, just keeping me company.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
I was going to request that he be a part
of the interview, but I do want you to focus
on important things. Maybe at the end we'll we'll put
nothing in your arms, because we got to start with
the snake, actually, because I didn't believe that that was
yours when I first saw your photos a couple years ago.
I remember I slid into your DMS and I'm like,
what is happening? So can we get the brief story
on nothing? And just snakes in general.
Speaker 6 (07:49):
Yeah, so I had snakes growing up, Like as a child,
my biological dad had a snake.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
That's where it all started.
Speaker 6 (07:55):
And then my mom, when it was just her and I,
she got me a pet snake. Take me to the zoo,
and I would always want to see the snakes. I
have art like from elementary school where I drew snakes,
and when I.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Grow up, I will have a pet snake. Like it
was just always a thing.
Speaker 6 (08:11):
And my stepdad, who raised me most of my whole life,
came in when I was pretty young and he's like,
no snakes. And so as I got older, I was like,
when I go to college, I'm getting a snake. And
literally freshman year, a group of my friends I had
shoulder surgery that year started at the very beginning of
the season, was sidelined with an injury, had shoulder surgery,
and after getting through that rehab, which was brutal, I
(08:36):
do all my other surgeries before I did my shoulder again,
they got me a snake and I've had him since then.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
And that was twenty thirteen.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
So how long do snakes live?
Speaker 6 (08:47):
He could live like twenty to thirty years just here
in the wild. I think it decreases a little bit. Yeah,
but he's fed regularly and kept.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Saying do you need a snake watcher? Or can he
be alone while you're gone on your trips and be alone?
Speaker 6 (09:00):
I'll have someone to come. I have a few good friends.
One of my college teammates, Bashara, actually, so he was
raised with hers in Atlanta, So she'll come by and
just like change his water, take him out, kind of
play with him a little bit.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
But I've left him for a week at a time. Yeah,
someone comes to changes water.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
It's a little different from a dog sitter to be like,
will you come hang out with my snake?
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I love less work he eats does a month?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Does nothing have? Does nothing have?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
I did not intend on asking this many snake questions,
but now I'm in. Does nothing have the kind of
scales that are super like buttery feeling like super soft?
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Yeah, yes, like he is.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
I've handled several snakes and some of them are like, truly,
I hate to say it feels like a beautiful bag,
because you know that's insulting to the snake population. But
some of them are a little scalier and gross. But
then the buttery ones, like I'm in I'm in.
Speaker 6 (09:50):
And he's iridescent. When he sheds like he gets super irridesent.
Take him outside and he's the best.
Speaker 1 (09:56):
He's okay, Well nothing, I'm sorry for even invoking the
idea of pursus.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
I am anti snakes purse. Okay, important stuff.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
WNBA Finals and the game five overtime win for the
Liberty on Sunday or was it a loss? Drea give
it to a straight Did the Liberty win or did
many lose?
Speaker 5 (10:16):
Ugh?
Speaker 6 (10:17):
I Ah, that's so tough because obviously two things are true.
But for me, I'm just like Minnesota lost it, or
like or it was like was it taken from Minnesota?
And this is the hard part, right because obviously there's
so much nuance, and it's never black and white.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
There's always a gray area.
Speaker 6 (10:35):
So there are going to be people that said that
was not a foul on Atlanta Smith. There are also
which I was so mad at myself when watching the replay,
I was so focused on the foul and where Alanta
Smith was sliding and watching that I didn't notice the
travel that could have been called on Briennasto caught the ball.
So there are so many things where people could be
(10:57):
like if if that call went the other way, or
if that call wasn't called at all, what would have happened, Like,
who knows what that would what would have happened. Would
Minnesota have gotten the ball or if they overturned the
foul call, then maybe would they have done a jump
ball and then would Minnesota have gotten that or would
they been able to set their defense? And then on
the other side, for the Liberty side, it's also like, yeah,
(11:17):
but there was still five seconds left, so who knows
what would have happened. We still could have tied it.
And then there's also the main group of people I
think that are like, you know, but there was still
five minutes left in overtime to go win it, and
so there's so many that's that's the beautiful thing.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
About the game and the frustrating thing about the game
is there's all this gray area.
Speaker 6 (11:37):
Obviously, hats off to the New York Liberty for winning,
because they went like, at the end of the day,
they can't what was what was.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
New York supposed to do?
Speaker 6 (11:45):
It be like, oh, actually she didn't foul me and
I traveled, so we're not gonna like you play the
game that the refs call and so you can't be like, oh,
New York shouldn't have to do done, and they dominated overtimes,
so I'd say New York won it in Minnesota lost.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
And there we go. Yeah, we get you muted on
around the horn.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
I want you to know that, but in this show
will allow you to have the nuance of both being true.
Thank you, Thank you, ronwall Jones. What does this mean
for her? The finals MVP? Adding that to her legacy.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
It's huge. And you know, John Quall is the player.
She's so kind like, she is such a kind like.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
She's someone that you just actively root for, and she's
someone that's also experienced heartache.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
At Connecticut, she had.
Speaker 6 (12:31):
Opportunities to win a championship with really good teams and
the makeup of those teams was obviously something that she
felt like she had to step away from and couldn't
find success there, and then has this opportunity with New
York and there's so much attention on them last year,
and last year seemed difficult from the outside looking in
like and figuring out where she now fits with the Liberty,
(12:54):
and then this year for her to almost come into
her own again and know her role and just be
so consistent all season long and then so consistent in
the finals and have her moment where she is so celebrated.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
It's wonderful. You know, this is a.
Speaker 6 (13:09):
Player for me with John Cuell, I don't think she's
celebrated enough and that we could do a better job
of that in the media.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
She wasn't celebrated when she won the MVP Award. She
wasn't celebrated.
Speaker 6 (13:20):
If there's a beautiful article written about it after the fact,
but that was almost written about how she wasn't celebrated enough. Yeah,
and so you know, she is a player that deserves it.
She's a center that can score.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
From all three levels.
Speaker 6 (13:33):
She shot fifty percent from the field, forty from three
to ninety percent from the free throw line. That Minnesota
really had no answer for John Quell and she was
the key to their victory. So I think just as
far as being a matchup nightmare and being a consistent
presence to win a championship, that is now added to
her resume, and I think it's great.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
She deserves it.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Yeah, you mentioned that she's sort of the intersection of
so many things that we talk about in this league
that are off underappreciated, woman of color, queer woman, masculine
presenting big right. We love our guards, we love our
you know, flashy, and she just gets the job done.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
From six Women of the Year to season MVP, now.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Finals, MVP Champion, plenty of All Defense, plenty of All
Star appearances.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Where does her career fit into the best all time?
Speaker 1 (14:22):
For you?
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Wow?
Speaker 6 (14:24):
Yeah, I mean I would definitely say John CLO's up there.
I mean, how many players in the league have an
MVP and a championship like that alone? Puts her in
a group or in a tier that is above a
lot of players, and she could she still hopefully has
a lot of time left and her game actually still
has room to grow.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
And depending on whether she.
Speaker 6 (14:46):
Stays with New York or where she goes next, you know,
she's absolutely a player who could win another MVP if
she wanted to win another championship if she wanted to.
So I think that there are obviously the players that
won multiple championships multiple they're in the tier of their own.
But John Quell's almost in that middle space, you know,
(15:06):
where she's like above the majority of the players, and
she's reaching for that top tier. And I think it's
special and it's also a testament to you know, John
Quell is a player that left her family and her
the Bahamas and to come here and play basketball. So
her story and her testament to almost betting on herself
(15:27):
when she went to New York, it's really cool. But yeah,
she's she's she's moving into the top tier, but she is.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
She's well above the majority, well.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
And so consistent across this series, which was what the
Liberty needed because you look at Stewie and Sabrina big missus,
big makes, but big misses, lots of misses. It felt
like roller coaster esque for both of them throughout this
five games.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
Where does Stewie fit into the goat conversation now?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Because it's odd that she ends up winning this title
and is a part of this team and adds that
to a resume that is almost unmatched. But also throughout
this series, I saw a lot of conversation about how
Nafisa Collier was the one who would now slid into
right behind Asia Wilson as opposed to Brianna Stewart. Yeah,
I mean what a season that fee had, right, Like,
Nefisa was absolutely amazing.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
What have for sure?
Speaker 6 (16:16):
One MVP if the Minnesota Links would have won like
the Pole playoffs and her final series was just phenomenal.
The defense that she played against Brianna Stewart. When you
talk about this season, Nafisa is one hundred percent like
right behind Asia Wilson.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
It was.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
It was clear as day.
Speaker 6 (16:34):
When you get into the larger conversation of where people
stand in this league, Stewie has created separation.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
With the MVPs and with the championships, But.
Speaker 6 (16:45):
When you get into who's catching up as just as
far as individual presence an individual, as far as being
effective goes as an individual, Fees up there.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Fee's right there.
Speaker 6 (16:56):
When you watch those two go one on one, it
was phenomenal and Fee often won those matchups, but they
the way that they battled and for me, fees on
her way, Like, I absolutely think Nafisa will win an MVP.
Nefisa Callier will win a championship. It might be multiple
her games. She's so tough to guard and like she
is a player that has perfected.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
The fate the faded way. Like think about how many
players in the league, in the w and in the NBA.
Speaker 6 (17:25):
That have almost perfected that shot to the point where
it's unguardable. She already has that in her bag. She's
not even having to add that. Now she's going to
add everything else. So for me, v is catching up.
You know, she had a couple of tough seasons just
with Minnesota in general, but Fee as a player individually
is coming into her own and I think she'll move
(17:46):
into again. Like we're witnessing players that will be marked
as some of the greatest we've ever seen, which is
so cool.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
Do you think Minnesota could have the firepower to make
another run next season if the roster doesn't get changed
too much?
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Yeah, I think.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
I actually think Minnesota could be a team that makes
a move similar to the New York Liberty because coming
into this season right New York added Leoni Foebish and
then they trusted that Niaresabeli would kind of come into
your own, which she did to perfection.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
Shout out to her, because what a performance. I could
see Minnesota.
Speaker 6 (18:19):
They could definitely go and try to get a big name,
which would also totally work, but I could also see
them doing something where I'm as an analyst at the
beginning of the season being like, wait, that's.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
It said, and you were like and she shut me up.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Yeah, and she did, And I love that.
Speaker 6 (18:33):
Like, the one thing I will do is coll as
beta Spade when it happens, and then collas beta.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Spade in reflection whether I'm right or wrong.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
And uh, you know, I think Minnesota for me, they
were such a tight knit group. Like when I was
watching them play, there were times where I was like,
Minnesota has the better team, like in terms of the
team and the way they mesh and the way they
(19:02):
celebrate each other and the way it looks like they
just play with so much joy. But the Liberty at
times had better pieces, right, talented and more daces yep, yeah,
and more depth exactly. So if Minnesota kind of the
way New York did, they add a couple of pieces
that maybe people are like, but it adds to their death.
I think Kaylea McBride and a Fisa Collier can absolutely
(19:25):
lead a team. Courtney Williams coming into her own in
that point guard position.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
That's where I wonder what they'll do.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
Will they keep her as the point guard or will
they kind of move her into her more natural spot
if she thinks her natural spot is the two what's
that conversation with Courtney and where does she feel her best, Like,
is that there big three and they try to add
support or do they try to bring someone else big in.
There's so many things that could happen, But I think
this team with a tweak, like it doesn't have to
(19:52):
be a big change. The Minnesota Links with a tweak
could win a championship.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
I mean this offseason there's gonna be a ton of
disc gushion around the super teams and the teams that
got it done because of coaching and balance and vibes
like the Links. But also there's gonna be a big
shake up in the form of the Valkyries, the expansion draft,
and what it means for the league to build another
team next year, two more teams the year after.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
It's gonna look a lot different.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Do you have any idea who you think the Liberty
are going to core in the off season or Minnesota.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
Yeah, that's tough, obviously, I think, and I don't.
Speaker 6 (20:28):
I would if you're in Minnesota, you core a fee
of course, like you you have to keep her, You
have to keep Nafisa Callier. She is, you know, one
of one in her own right, And I know we
use that term loosely, but there really isn't necessarily a
player like the FISA caller when it comes to footwork,
when it comes to the fade away, when it comes
to her defensive presence, and when it comes to her
(20:50):
poise like NAFISA callier is so she almost just looks
unbothered when I watched her play unfazed. Yes, like we
saw that exactly, and like I love if she gets
fired up. But I think they would core her if
they had to. If you could pick one, right, I
think would be in a FISA and for New York.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
I think it's interesting. I think it would.
Speaker 6 (21:13):
To me, I would just course Stewie, like Stewie does
so much for you, uh, because she could play all
five positions, So that to me is.
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Something that you you don't want to let go of.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
It's just gonna be fun to watch the Valkyries create
a brand new team and see who hangs on to whom.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
All right, last two quickies.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Kathy Engelbert's dress featuring the New York skyline? Is this
are we feeding into Minnesota conspiracy theories?
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Should Kathy have taken a hard look at the mirror
and said, I don't know if this is the right choice.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Probably.
Speaker 6 (21:45):
I like, yeah, like you wear one and we get
we get it all the time now and it's kind
of like phased.
Speaker 3 (21:51):
Out now that I'm more in studio.
Speaker 6 (21:53):
But when I used to call games, it was like
a big thing, like you don't wear the team's color.
You never wear the team's color, supecially not the home
team color, but don't wear any team's color at all.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
Is studio, it's a little bit different. Like I'm in
the studio.
Speaker 6 (22:05):
I'm just grabbing as many you know, suits as I
can to be here for twelve days, and sometimes I'm
just not thinking. But I do think the skyline of
the city was a little crazy, like I maybe come
in in a certain fit, yeah, and then change into it,
but then have a Minnesota dress also to believe that
(22:26):
you weren't picking sides.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
I don't know how many brands are making Minnesota skyline
dresses unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
But also East Coast bias.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
But also I feel like in her mind, she was like, oh,
it's Game five, We're in New York. It's just about yes,
you know, and I'm from New York. But I would
have said just stay away from that just in case.
All right, Finally, unrivaled. How excited are you for this league?
Do you have any bold predictions about you know, I mean,
obviously a great TV deal, obviously a great chance to
(22:54):
see some of the superstars we love from the W.
But any bold predictions about the format or someone who
might show and that's unexpected in that format.
Speaker 6 (23:01):
Oh, I think it's gonna be. Oh, I think it's
gonna be so much fun. Like, I think it's gonna
be amazing to watch. I'm so excited. I will be
down in Miami as a like, hanging out watching games.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
I can't wait. And it's just new, Like anytime there's
a new format. The three at three on three in
itself is a completely different game. It's so much fun
to watch.
Speaker 6 (23:25):
Like you can watch a player, you know, like a
Rique Goomba Walle just cook, like just b one on
one matched up and she'll have so many opportunities to
cook and create and and we'll see, you know, obviously,
bring a student a Fisa Collier, those two as business.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Partners, like a better for I know than the finals.
I'm I'm excited.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
I called it h I called it Tampa City, USA.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Everyone said it's Tampa Bay because it's down in Florida, Andrea,
we love you so much. Thank you for making time
after an incredibly busy run here with the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Thanks so much for coming on.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
We got to take another break when we come back.
Conspiracy Coup Tour, Welcome Back Slices. The WNBA season is
technically over, but we can't stop thinking about this final series.
So in honor of all the shots, blocks, steals and
sellies that are still taking up space in our brains,
(24:21):
it's time for the moment we can't stop talking about,
presented by DraftKings, and for me, It'snfisa Collier changing her
future with a season and a postseason that left no
doubt about her place among the league's very best. Fee
has cemented her status as a no doubt MVP candidate
heading into next season, a player who we are certain
(24:42):
will be hot on the heels of the current Queen
Las Vegas Aces, Asia Wilson.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
Just listen to these numbers.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
This playoffs, Nafisa Collier set the WNBA record for points
in a single postseason. In the finals, she averaged nineteen points,
eight rebounds, two point six assists, three point four steals,
and one point eight blocks while shooting forty nine point
four percent from the field. Her seventeen steals in the
finals marked the most ever by a player in a
WFA Final series, besting Tamika Ketching's previous record of sixteen
(25:10):
in the two thousand and nine WNBA Finals.
Speaker 2 (25:12):
She led her team in four major.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Statistical categories during these finals, points, rebounds, steals, and blocks.
Last night, she also surpassed to Meka Catchings for most stocks,
steals and blocks in a single postseason with her forty
eighth and also tied Nakisha Sales for second most steals
in a postseason with her twenty fifth. Nafisa Collier, you
deserve some flowers for the effort that you put up
(25:36):
for the links, despite it being a losing effort in
the finals, So shouts to Fee. We can't wait to
watch you next season. Download the Draftking Sportsbook app now
and use code good Game. New customers can match us
five bucks to get two hundred dollars instantly in bonus
bets only on Draftking Sportsbook with code good Game, the
crown is yours. We always love that your list in,
(25:57):
but we want you to get in the game every
day too, So here's our good game play of the day.
It's just one last reminder to fill out our survey.
A huge thank you to the hundreds of you who
have already filled it out.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
We want to make this show as great as possible
for you and we need your feedback to do that.
So click the link in the show notes take two
minutes to fill it out, or you can find it
on my Twitter at Sarah Spain and if you fill
it out, you'll be entered to win a prize pack.
Speaker 2 (26:20):
Thanks slices.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
We always love hearing from you, and if you got
something you think we should know about, send it our way.
Good game at wondermediaetwork dot com or leave us a
voicemail at eight seven two two o four fifty seventy
like Tim Lowell, who's been keeping us updated on the
Women's T twenty Cricket World Cup, and he let us
know that Team New Zealand, losers of ten straight T
twenty international matches, coming in surprise, they won the whole
(26:43):
damn thing. Tim told us it's the first time in
any Women's World Cup that neither England nor Australia played
in the final, and it's the first year that the
international Cricket Council introduced equal prize money for its men's
and women's tournaments, So good timing and congrats.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
To the Kiwis. Don't forget to subscribe, Rate and review slices.
It's it's easy.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Watch WNBA commissioner Kathy Engelbert wearing a dress featuring the
New York skyline to Game five of the WNBA Finals.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
Rating weirdness, review, fashion aside.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
It's not a great look for the commissioner of the
league to show up to any game, let alone a
decisive Game five in a dress that clearly picks a side. Now,
there are some Minnesota fans out there who felt like
the fix was in, and you might have convinced him
it was just standard fan paranoia until they saw that
Empire State building planted right between Kathy's collarbone and hips.
Heads up for Nwslchemish Jessica Berman, be very careful when
(27:34):
selecting your fit for the championship next month. We're all
watching now, it's your turn, slices, Rate and Review.
Speaker 2 (27:41):
Thanks for listening. See you tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Good game, Andrea, good game, New York Liberty. Yes again
if you win your franchise's first title of twenty eight years.
You deserve a couple back to back good games and
use sponsorship deals with companies that cause harm to humans
and the environment.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Good game with Sarah Spain.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
It's an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep
Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are Alex Azzie
and Misha Jones. Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz,
Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder. Our editors are Emily Rudder,
Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and Lindsay Cradowell. Production assistant from
(28:22):
Lucy Jones and I'm Your Host Sarah Spain.
Host
Sarah Spain
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