May 5, 2025 • 45 mins
In today's episode you'll hear Sarah's honest and heartfelt conversation with UCLA women’s basketball head coach Cori Close from the espnW Summit NYC last week. They talk about putting an excellent season in perspective despite a disappointing ending, losing players to the transfer portal, and the challenge and opportunity presented by coaching sisters Lauren and Sienna Betts next season. Plus, new records are set, playoff tickets are punched, and a statue commemorates a hoops legend.
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Pre-order Sarah’s book Runs in the Family here
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Read about Ali and Syd’s BFFR pod launch here, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts here
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Read Jenna Tonelli’s story about Minnesota Aurora FC here
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See Grand Slam Track’s schedule here
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Watch Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles’ encounter here
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Send us a note at goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com
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Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.com Instagram: @Spain2323
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Follow producer Misha Jones! Bluesky: @mishthejrnalist.bsky.social Instagram: @mishthejrnalist
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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've spent
all morning clapping and singing. Asia Wilson's on top, top Top,
can't take.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Her spot, Spot Spot.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
It's Monday, May fifth, and on today's show you'll hear
my conversation with friend of the show, Corey Close, head
coach of UCLA women's basketball, from Thursday's espn W summit
in NYC.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
We talk about trying.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
To feel pride in a great season despite a disappointing ending,
the challenges of the transfer portal and watching players leave
her program, the unique challenge that she's going to face
coaching sisters Lauren and Sienna Betts, and coaching hearts not
jump shots. Plus it's been a while since we got
you up on the news. From world records to coaching changes,
playoff berths to statues, a whole lot has happened in
(00:44):
the last week, so we'll get to everything you need
to know. Plus preseason WNBA action and an ad deserving
of a Queen. It's all coming up right after this
welcome back slices. Here's what you need to know today
(01:07):
in WNBA news. The twenty twenty five preseason got underway
over the weekend, and in exciting fashion, for the first
time in the league's twenty nine seasons, every preseason contest
will air on national television or stream online, which means
no more watching on a fans cell phone live stream.
This is progress, people, big time progress. Fans were treated
(01:29):
to two of those national TV games on I on
Friday night. First, the Dallas Wings fell to the new
look Las Vegas Aces Squad one twelve seventy eight that
game on Notre Dames home floor. Number one overall pick
Page Becker's getting the start in that game, posting ten
points and four rebounds for the Wings in.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Her first w action.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Fellow Dallas rookies JJ Quinnerley and Aiah James added sixteen
and ten points, respectively. It was also a homecoming for
Dallas guard Arigaygunbawale, longtime ACES star Jackie Young, and new
Aces acquisition Jewel All Notre Dame Melums. Later that night,
My Chicago Sky defeated the Brazilian national team eighty nine
sixty two in a homecoming game for Angel Reese and
(02:09):
for number eleven pick Hayley van Lith that took place
at LSU's Pete Marovitch Assembly center Reese checked out with
a fifteen point, ten rebound double double, while HVL notched
seven points and five assists in her first WNBA action.
Then on Saturday, it was the Indiana Fever and Washington
Mystics putting on a show for viewers on NBATV and
(02:29):
those in person at Gainbridge Field House. In the first
overtime game of the preseason. Indy pulled out the seventy
nine to seventy four win behind twenty one points and
eight boards from new acquisition Sophie Cunningham. Both teams got
strong contributions from their draft picks as well, most notably
number three picks Sonya Citron posting fifteen points and four
rebounds for DC. No Caitlin Clark in that game as
(02:51):
she rested a leg injury, but she was in action
on Sunday when the Fever took its turn against Brazil
back at Carver Hawkeye Arena on the Iowa campus, whereas
were lined up down the street to see Clark back
on her college court, sink and trays, and she was
in mid season mid court three form, already draining from
deep and given the crowd a show. The Fever crews
in that one one oh eight forty four. We'll get
(03:13):
some more first looks at teams and players this week.
And one thing I noticed about getting to watch all
this WNBA preseason action for the first time, it's not
just that it's exciting to watch sure things like Page
Beckers get their first pro minutes. We're also getting to
watch bubble players and draft picks that are bubble players
get minutes. And with some popular college players already getting
(03:34):
cut from teams and surely more cuts to come, I'm
actually really glad that fans are being given the chance
to see these games. Not only can you see them
fighting for those spots and maybe start to understand why
they don't make it, but also, while you hope it's
not the case for some of these players, it could
end up being their only WNBA action, so it's nice
for fans to get to see it. Speaking of, with
(03:56):
roster spots at a premium, cuts are inevitable, especially for
rook keys, and sometimes.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
They happen before they even get in a game, which we.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Saw on Saturday when the Golden State Valkyries waved number
seventeen draft pick Chyenne Sellers before the Mariland grad got
any run at all in a violet jersey, and unfortunately,
we've already seen some heartbreaking injuries in this young season.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Two.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Former Kentucky guard and Mystics number six draft pick Georgia
Amore sidelined indefinitely with an ACL injury suffered in practice
last week. Also, Seattle Storm forward Katie Lou Samuelson is
missing this season with her own ACL tair also sustained
during practice. We're wishing both of them the best and
we're sending out injury free vibes for the rest of
the WNBA preseason. More hoops all of season two of
(04:41):
ESPN's Full Court Press is now available on Disney Plus
and ESPN Plus. This season follows Notre Dames Hanna Hidalgo,
Lsusvlaje Johnson, and USC's Keiky Erie Fen, who's now with
the Washington Mystics in the w By the way, speaking
of Hannah Hidalgo, did y'all see that clip of her
and former teammate who recently transferred, Olivia Miles. The two
(05:03):
were in a very heated conversation at this weekend's WNBA
game back at Notre Dame, and a security member eventually
appeared to encourage them to take their conversation out of
public view. Very interesting. We'll post the clip to our
show notes if you want to check it out to
NWSL news. Chicago Stars FC made a big change Wednesday,
letting go of head coach Lorne Donaldson. Donaldson, the former
(05:26):
Jamaica women's national team head coach, had been with the
Stars since last season. He took over a team that
finished dead last in twenty twenty three and led them
to a ten fourteen and two regular season record last
year with a playoff berth. This season, though, Chicago holds
a one to five to zero record, currently in fourteenth
place in the league. Now, they've been without star Mouse
Wantson all season, and they started the year with just
(05:48):
five defenders on the roster, so many are wondering if
Donaldson was in any position to succeed either way. He's gone,
and the club's first assistant coach, Masaki Hemi, will step
in as interim head coach while the search for a
new leader takes place. This is the team's third coaching
search in four seasons. In on field action, both of
the NWSL's top teams, number one Kansas City Current and
(06:11):
number two Orlando Pride, dropped their games over the weekend.
On Friday, it was Seattle rain FC stymying the current
winning one nail up in the Pacific Northwest behind Lynd
Biandolo's first goal for her new club, and then on Saturday,
the Portland Thorns put one in the side of the Pride,
also earning a one nail victory. Raynarees strike in the
sixteenth minute gave Portland the edge more NWSL. The league
(06:33):
confirmed to ESPN in a statement on Friday that it's
formally applied to the US Soccer Federation to launch a
Division two women soccer league, with plans to kick off
in twenty twenty six. Now Persebia Sports. Eight of the
fourteen NWSL teams have already committed to the D two league,
and each club would be required to have a second
tier team within the first four years. The idea behind
this second division is to offer a player development pipeline
(06:56):
under the NWSL, selling that fans and players and execs
have been hungry for in recent years. Commissioner Jessica Berman
telling ESPN quote, it's not as if the players aren't there.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
They're there.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
They need to be identified, they need to be in
the right technical environment. They need to be invested in
and developed in an age appropriate way that allows for
them to ultimately graduate into what we need for our
teams as we continue to scale, and what the US
national team needs as well.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
End quote. So more footy news.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
We got a shout out nwslstar Midge Purse of Gotham FC.
She isn't just talented on the pitch, she got acting
chops too. Purse made her Broadway debut on Thursday, delivering
the opening monologue for the critically acclaimed musical Chicago.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
This isn't the first time Purse has flexed her creative
muscles outside of competition. You remember, of course, she also
created NWSL reality series The Off Season, which debuted last
year to PWHL News. With playoff spots on the line,
it all came down to Saturday's regular season finales. Marie
Philip Puland scored twice to lead the Montreal Victoire to
a three two winner for the New York Sirens that
(07:56):
secured them the top spot for the postseason. The Ottawa
Charge or to playoff birth with a two to one
overtime winner for the Toronto Scepters, who had already clinched
their spot in the playoffs in the Minnesota Frost grabbed
the final spot with an eight to one win over
the Boston Fleet. Now, the first four games of the
playoffs run Wednesday to Sunday, with the Montreal Victoire on
Toronto Scepterors hosting the first two games of best of
(08:17):
five semi finals. In the PWHL, the top seeded team
actually gets to select its semi final opponent, and on
Sunday night, the Victoire elected to face the three seed
Ottawa Charge, so it'll be Montreal versus Ottawa and Toronto
versus Minnesota. Also little bit of bulletin material for Ottawa
as Montreal chose to face them instead of the lower
(08:38):
seeded Frost. Of course, the Frost last year's PWHL champions.
This is the last PWHL playoffs stemming from a pool
of six teams because the league announced a second expansion
team on Wednesday, bringing next season's total to eight teams.
Seattle named as the next city getting a franchise. Vancouver
was announced as the first expansion team back on April twenty,
(08:58):
third to the pool where Katie Ldeki broke her own
world record en route to winning the eight hundred meter
freestyle on Saturday night in a TYR Pro Swim Series
meet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ladeki now the owner of
the ten fastest eight hundred times ever and twenty three
of the top twenty five races at the distance. It
was her first world record swim in seven years. At
(09:20):
that same event, American Gretchen Walsh also twice lowered her
own world record in the one hundred meter butterfly, winning
that race Saturday night in Track News Grand Slam Track
the Pro League created by Team USA, Olympic legend and
four time gold medalist Michael Johnson, held its second Slam
of twenty twenty five this past weekend, and friend of
the show and Team USA gold medalist Massi Russell put
(09:40):
together a historic performance in the women's one hundred meter
hurdles on the first night of racing. She ran a
win legal twelve seventeen to set a new American record.
That winning time also the second fastest in world history.
We see you, Massi, and we also see you Akira Nugent,
who actually bested Massi for the short hurdles slam win.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
She combined a third place finish in.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
The hundred hurdles with a win in the one hundred
meters All You Race. Officionado's Grand Slam track has two
more slams on the schedule for this year to get
excited for we'll link to the schedule in our show notes.
And some more track news. Athlos NYC, the women's track
event organized and back by Alexis Ohanian, is returning in October,
and it's now boasting some field to a new event,
(10:24):
the long jump. Tara Davis Woodhall, who took home gold
in longtip at the Paris Olympics, is set to headline
the list of competitors come fall. Athlos's twenty twenty five
meet will take place on October tenth. In addition to
the long jump, there will be races in the one hundred,
two hundred, four hundred, eight hundred and fifteen hundred meter
as well as one hundred meter hurdles. A track at field, folks,
you're getting fed today. Go ahead and put that on
(10:46):
your calendar too. In rugby news, a record breaking night
on Friday as Canada defeated Alonamar in the US twenty
six to fourteen in front of ten thousand, five hundred
and eighteen fans in Kansas City. That's the biggest attendance
for a women's rugby game ever in the US. The
teams were facing off in the Pacific Four Series, which
is a four team tournament also featuring Australia and New
(11:07):
Zealand as they continue to prep for this summer's Rugby
World Cup in England. Finally, last week, the city of
Columbia honored South Carolina women's basketball coach Don Staley with
a statue on Senate Street.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Since being hired at SC in two thousand.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
And eight, Stay has led the game Cocks to three
national championships, seven NCAA Final fours, nine SCC regular season championships,
and nine SEC tournament titles. She's also helped thirteen Game
Cocks earn twenty nine All America selections and has sent
eighteen players to the WNBA Draft, eleven of them first
round picks. Staley rejected the idea of getting a statue
(11:41):
at first, but it was those future generations that changed
her mind. She said, quote, I agreed to this statue
not for me, but for the girl who walks by
one day and wonders who I was. I hope she
sees I was a champion for equity and equality. All right,
slices before we hit a break, got a shout out
a story about our good game side Minnesota Aurora FC,
(12:02):
written by.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Friend of the show Jenna Tanelli.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
It outlines the moves that the pre professional club has
been making to lay the foundation for a jump to
the pro ranks. We'll link to it in our show
notes so you can give it a read. Also a reminder, y'all,
the Aurora's two game preseason starts May eleventh, and the
regular season kicks off with their home opener on May
twenty second, so mark your calendars. I'm hoping to make
it out there for the June twelfth game, so I'll
(12:25):
give you more on a slices get together that maybe
we could put together if I can swing it. I
also want to shout out friends of the show, Ali
Riley and Sid LaRue on the recent launch of their
BFFR podcast. They've got undeniable energy and chemistry and that
show has been so fun to watch on social so
a podcast is going to be great. We love to
see him thrive, and we'll link to a story about
the pod launch and where you can subscribe in our
(12:47):
show notes. All Right, we got to take a quick
break when we come back coaching hearts with Corey close
stick around. I'd like to bring up someone who did
more this year, more than ever before in the history
(13:08):
of her program, first ever trip to the Final four
with her team. She's the head women's basketball coach for UCLA.
She has been since twenty eleven. Last season, she led
her squad to the program's first ever overall NCUBA Tournament
number one seed and their first ever trip to the
Final Four. Before UCLA, she had a couple stops as
an assistant coach, including at Florida State and UC Santa Barbara,
(13:29):
and back at UCLA as an assistant. As a player
for UC Santa Barbara, she was team captain for two seasons,
led them to the NCAA Tournament. In both seasons, she
was mentored by the legendary John Wooden. She drops knowledge
while driving in her car rides with Corey series. She's
the AP Nate Smith and WBCA Coach of the Year.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
It's Corey glos.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Coach that bio is getting longer and longer. I just
need to hang out with you more often. It's way
better than it actually is.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Well that is, first of all, not true, and secondarily,
I'm gonna start cutting it so we have more time
to talk. What a season for you, unbelievable. Now, of
course you want to win it all. Every year, you
want to win it all. Your team came up short
in the final four against the eventual winners in Yukon.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
That's such a nice way of saying it. Thank you,
kep short. Yeah, a little short, a little short, little short.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
How long before that disappointment subsided and the raining emotion
could be joy about what you'd achieved?
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Or are we still working on it?
Speaker 4 (14:32):
I'm still waiting on it.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
There's this thing called the transfer portal, and you know,
so literally the moment we touched down after the final four,
it has been fourteen hours a day ever since then.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
But there will be a time.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
We did have one night where we had our celebration
banquet that I was able to go, oh my gosh,
we did do that. But I'm not there yet, but
I am sure going to get there.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
That's hard.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
It is hard.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
That stinks. Yeah, it had such a great season.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
It is just part of our new landscape and as
a whole sport, and it's some things we need to
address in that. But I'm not going to forget about it,
but it is. You know, we're talking about growing women's
sports and NIL and all the different things, and the
reality of how that translates in my world is I
got the ground running right now.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I want to get to the transfer portal later, but
I want to ask you an honest question. If not
for the transfer portal, do you think you would have
landed and been able to process what happened and be
happy or is that just who you are that you're
going to take a while to get over the disappointment.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
I think both, you know, honestly, you know, I think
that I usually, you know, do a deep dive and
sort of like what happened?
Speaker 4 (15:36):
What can I learn? And those kinds of things.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
But I do try to pause and count the victories
good and I want to live in sort of a
healthy tension of diving deep about how I can grow
and what it taught me and celebrating the things that
we did right and we want to continue to do right.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Satisfaction in the moment is super important, even if you're ambitious.
You've been at UCLA for fourteen seasons, the last ten
of them postseason runs, last year's Sweet sixteen this year
final four.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
You just keep building. So in your mind, what would.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
You say were the keys to getting the program where
it is now, where you're among the best in the country.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
What was the intention there?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Well, I think it's you know, coaching within your lane
in terms of knowing who I am and I you know,
you mentioned being mentored by John Wooden. One of the
biggest gifts he gave me was that it was never
about trying to do it like somebody else. He would
always say, Hey, don't do it like me, do it
like you're made to do it. And I think one
of the keys for me is being really principal centered
(16:32):
and value based and knowing exactly what kind of program
was going to fit my leadership. And I think, you know,
there's a big piece of consistency growth that surrounds knowing
who you are and the way you want to lead.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Yeah, I mean, I think you mentioned Woden. You had
Tuesdays with wooden seventeen year mentorship. You're just an assistant. Yeah,
starting out at UCLA, you're terrified to meet him, yep,
and you end up having a seventeen relationship where you're
now taking jobs far away and working to come back
and make sure you keep that connection. What was the
best or the biggest takeaway from those years with him?
Speaker 3 (17:09):
I'm always asked that, and it's like it's this rolodex
that goes if anyone knows what a rolodex still is,
and yeah, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
But also important note, and you can be honest, is
there any young person.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Here doesn't know who John Wooden is? We will not
be met.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
Most of my recruits don't until I educate them.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Okay, yeah, Like just just a legend of coaching, not just.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Basketball more national championships, ten national championships in.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Twelve years US and caremid of success is in every office,
in every basketball of Like it's just it's worth noting
that that is what we're talking about here is someone
who took you under his wing, verry late in his life.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Very late in his life.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
And you know, I just got done going to the
Wooden Awards and his whole family was there, his you know,
his grandkids and really his great granddaughter Corey is the
reason I got in the door that my name was
spelled correctly like hers. But I think that you know
the biggest thing for me learning under him was it
(18:04):
was really never about the championships. That was a by
product of coaching young men's hearts. For him, it was
the men's basketball team. And he used to always say,
you know, you're not coaching people's jump shots.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
You're coaching people's hearts.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
But if you coach their hearts really well, usually their
jump shots end up pretty good too. Yeah, And it
really was about He used to always say, I don't
judge a season by whether we win the championship or not.
I judge a season, all right, judge my coaching of
young men, of who they are ten years down the road,
twenty years down the road. And you know, he really
taught me that the only two things that stay with
(18:40):
you for the rest of your life from these four
years as a student athlete is who you become and
who you impact. And all the championships, all those other
things are really a byproduct of doing those things.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Well. I think the underestimation of culture is so massive,
particularly now when there is so much movement, or when
athletes you believe that they can kind of just coach themselves,
or you know, I think I always find when I
look at championship teams early in the season, there's already
like a little bit of magic there that you see
between them, and then when they win later, you're like, oh,
(19:13):
we kind of saw this all along. And then there's
really talented teams that should be winning more and they're
just missing whatever that is. And to me, that's usually coaching,
and that's bringing people together around things that are much
bigger than just the x's and o's are.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
And that's such a huge part of your job.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
You've been coaching in some capacity for thirty years, which
is crazy. You're now the winningest coach in Ucilly women's basketball.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
So while these hot flashes keep happening.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Yeah, that way Chili Faudi calls that personal summer.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Oh perfect, Yeah, I knew, I love Faudy. Okay, A
nice way to put a spin on something exactly. To
study with science so we understand this absolutely.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
I want to hear how your job has changed since
nineteen ninety three, because yes, it's been x's and oaths,
but I'm thinking about what's happened since ninety You have
cell phones that arrive in the locker room, you have
nil deals, the transfer portal leaps and TV coverage popularity
are known walking around campus. They're making millions of dollars.
The professionalization of the game is so good. It also
means player management, team building, Your interactions with the athletic
(20:11):
department and everything else have changed.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
How do you sum up what that.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Thirty years has been like in terms of growth and
understanding what's different now?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Well, I think, you know, you were used to be
leading a team and now we're leading an organization. And
I think, so, you know, the good news is that
we're experiencing all that growth. The bad news is there's
a lot of competing things that could have the potential
to erode your values or the reason people have fallen
in love.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
With women's sports.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
And so I think the balance of trying to lead
into opportunity, lead into great business models to maximize and
pivot for what the women's sports industry is demanding of
me as a leaders who's in essence of CEO now
and still coaching people's hearts and caring about culture and seeing, Okay,
(20:59):
where do we need to go?
Speaker 4 (21:00):
So what are these changes of landscapes really mean?
Speaker 3 (21:03):
And how do we reverse engineer so that we're maximizing
opportunities and pushing forward as well as really you know,
staying with coaching people's hearts and knowing what you're made
of as an organization, and there's no substitute for that.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
How do you get the players to buy carefully? Yeah,
Like if you're a kid and someone's dangling a bunch
of money, and that's awesome, and that's great and we
love that for them, but you have to help them
see the bigger picture, the longer road, the future, and
what it looks like if they keep the main thing,
the main thing, which is.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Ultimately putting the ball in the basket.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Like, if you forget that, the money and the cool
stuff goes away. Yeah, And how do you cause I
hate to say it, but like, coaching people's hearts sounds
corny if it's not followed by authenticity and everyday investment
in people. So how do you get them to buy
in that that's really what you're doing and you're not
trying to use those platitudes to access some next level
(21:56):
of basketball performance.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
Well, I think there's two things. One is we still
are demanding.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
The standard is a standard, and there are still championship
habits that need to be upheld. And that's in how
we interact, that's in how we practice, that's in all
the different areas of our organization. So you know, the
standards don't change because people are pouring in money. It
just takes more responsibility to much as given, much as required.
But I think the other part of it is playing
(22:23):
the scenario out for them and.
Speaker 4 (22:25):
Say, hey, is that enough?
Speaker 3 (22:26):
What if you do chase the money and what if
you get all the money you want?
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Is that enough?
Speaker 4 (22:31):
And I really believe.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
That comparison is not only the thief of all joy,
it also stunts your maximum growth. So I'm like, you know,
is that what you want? I always say, if you
want to do nothing, you can experience self centeredness and
a titlement and because that's just what the culture will
tell you. But if you want to have a healthy organization,
you want to have great relationships with your teammates, if
(22:54):
you want to be proud of who you've become at
the end of that season or the end of your
four years. Now you've got to Now you've got to
be willing to put your phone away and not check
social media of how they define you. But you have
to be willing to have pure accountability of how those
values are playing out. I just think, you know, I
just say what do you want at the end of
your road?
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Right?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
And is that enough? And I know a lot of
people who have won championships and have been really empty
and lonely the next day because they didn't keep the
main thing the main thing, and they didn't really do
it the right way, that that was a byproduct and
not the outcome being the most important thing.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
It's like so cheesy, but the process is really the point.
It really not the end to point, because there are
so many Olympic gold medalists that are like, oh wow,
I thought when I finally want it would fix all
my problems. You has fixed zero of my problems. That
the problems were unrelated to my goal of winning. It
was who I was, or who my relationships were and
all those other things.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Well, just real quickly.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
I always think about when Kobe Bryant was having his
banner raised number retired in then Staples and he said,
you know, this is not reward. The greatest reward of
my career was the work and who I became as
a result of the work. And I just always remember
that that that is the real reward in all this.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
That's a good story to tell you your players.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
And I know another one you tell your players involved
putting on your shoes and socks.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
It's really interesting because one of the mentorship.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Relations and how hard it is to bend down as.
Speaker 4 (24:21):
You get older. Well that yeah, or really it's getting
back up.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Now they have a tool for that.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
I found, So if things really start to go awry
for me, you can use a tool to put it on.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Can you send me that? That would be great?
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Okay, well, but that is really an amazing story that
I'd heard a hundred times. Coach wouldn't used to tell
everybody that the number one thing he did on the
first day of practice is teaches players how to put
on their shoes and socks the exact same way and
to do it the right way and as well. Of
course he needed to do that. They had terrible shoes
and they got blisters, right, But I really missed the point.
And all these years later, when I became the head
(24:52):
coach at UCLA, I would bring in his former players
to do that for us, and one year it.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Was rayfer Johnson.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
He passed away several years ago, but he Olympic gold medalist,
you know, lit the torch in the eighty four Olympics.
So on and so forth also played basketball UCLA, and
he was teaching our players and he was just meticulously saying, well,
then you do this, and then you do that in
this gentle voice. And I was like, oh, isn't this cute.
We're keeping the memory alive. But he really got me
(25:20):
because at the end of it, he looked around our
room and he said, you know, actually I was really
insecure when I played basketball for Coach Winden. There was
all these all Americans, and I just was a track
guy that could run fast.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
And he said, but it didn't matter. We had guys from.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Different religions, different backgrounds, different geography, different strengths. And he said,
but we actually learned how to become a team because
we all started by putting our shoes and socks on
the same way. I thought, oh, it's not just about
avoiding blisters.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yep, no, no, no, no, so simple, but very very profound.
You mentioned the transfer portal London Jones, one of your
players entered the transfer portal and has now headed of
all places to your crosstown rival US. How do you
imagine that matchup will be the first time you're on
the court facing off against her.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Well, a mix of emotions because I will always adore.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
And love London Jones.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
And you know, we had really honest conversations right when
we got back about what do you want for this
senior year? And then is there alignment of what I
can promise you? And there I had this moment. I
didn't know it was going to happen at our banquet,
but I go through the top ten moments, and I
had talked about just her career and there's there's no animosity,
it's it's I just I deeply love her and she
(26:34):
will always be a part of that building process that
you eloquently described. And I bottom line is is that
if I'm going to be true to my word about
coaching people's hearts, I will root for her every game
except for two.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
Yeah, you know. And honestly I was talking about.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Her and I just lost it at the banquet and
I just looked at her and she got up out
of her seat.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
From the back of the room and just came up
and just held me.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
I can get ooked up right now thinking about it,
because bottom line is, we've shared so much and so
you know, the transfer portal will always be hard. It's
not even though it's a lot more now. It has
always been hard. It breaks my heart every time somebody
chooses to go to somewhere else but what I wanted
any other way, because that would mean I don't care,
(27:20):
And so I really wish her and her family the best,
and I think it was the right choice for her, honestly,
and I think we couldn't provide for her this next
year what she really wanted, and so then I need
to say go.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
And I support you one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
I love that the Transfer Portal. Fifteen hundred and fifteen
players entered the transfer Portal when the season ended. Just
for those who don't know, you could stay with your
team even if you enter. If your coach welcomes you back,
you can go somewhere else, or your coach can say
just heads up, if you enter the transfer Portal, your
position here is no longer valuable to us or available
(27:56):
to you, and good luck. And then if they don't
find somewhere else, they go to a different division, take
a year off.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
So it's a risk.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
And I never really got the idea that, like, yeah,
if you're gone, sometimes you can come back, but you
have to have that relationship in that conversation before you
try to enter. All four players from your freshman class
entered the portal.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
Why, yeah, I think there are a lot of things.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
You know.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Nol Fortner, who just retired from Georgia Tech and a
great coach. She said to me during the NCAA tournament.
She said, sometimes Corey, you can have too much talent.
And I think that was a reality for us that
we had thirteen I mean too many. There was only
one other team in the country that had more McDonald's
all Americans than we did, and I think there was
(28:42):
just not enough minutes to go around, and we didn't
have any seniors. We had the potential to have everybody
coming back, and so those freshmen were like, there's no
improvement chance for me. I'm not going to get more
minutes than I'm getting right now, probably, And so I
just I think I learned a lot as a leader
that probably it's impossible to keep that many people happy
(29:06):
this day and age, and so you know, they decided
that there were going to be experiences that were going
to be better for them moving on, and you know,
I think that unfortunately, that is our new normal in
terms of that if it doesn't happen pretty quickly, you
know they're going to move on, but there were four
great kids. They are four great kids, great families, and
(29:28):
you know it just it didn't work out for their
complete to complete their careers for four years.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
And you're going to root for them every game except
for when you're.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Yeah, well that is interesting because all of them except
for one went to Big ten schools and the other
one we're playing that team.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
Great, so see all of them.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Here we go ice reunion.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
Yeah, hug it up.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
How do those moves really affect your planning though, because
it almost becomes like a professional team where if you
have everyone on essentially one year deals, if you're recruiting
and thinking I'm not going to need that, I've got
another three years of this player that has a similar
skill set.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
You can't really do that anymore.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
No, you have to be very adaptable, and we're lucky
to be in a place like Los Angeles that we've
been able to actually leverage that to our own benefit.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
But I don't think everyone has that luxury.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
We've been lucky enough to have an nil budget that
can attract people, as well as to have opportunities in
LA that people want to come to on especially the
second time around.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
So, but it's really hard.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
And I think the other danger that's really important for
especially this room, is that one of the things that's
been so great about women's sports is that fan bases
can develop a connection over time. We don't have as
many one and done's before the transfer portal like men
have it in the transfer portal and in the NBA.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
We got to be.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Careful that we really people love to support our teams
because they love to be connected to the journey of
our student athletes.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
And so I think it's a real challenge for me
as a leader in.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
With all this mobility is how do we keep the
connections with our fan base and how do we make
them still fell apart when we have a lot of turnover.
So that's going to be a real challenge that way,
But it really is a pro model. Now we need
to have some better boundaries. We need Congress to get involved,
We need some other things to help put some healthy boundaries,
salary caps and things like that in women's basketball, in
(31:12):
college sports in general. But the reality is is that
we have a different challenge now.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
It is not the same.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
It is not our We can't pretend it's this amateur,
little pure college environment anymore. It is a pro model
with some additions of scholarships and going to class and
other things. But I have to adopt as a leader,
and we're going to have to try to find a
healthy tension in that.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
And I think that's what a lot of people are saying.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
They're saying, we agree with the transfer portal and players
having the chance to make a choice the same way
coaches can leave.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
But there might need to be some more guardrails around.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Maybe it's the first one is a freebie, I agree,
and then after that you have to sit out a
year to make it really worth that decision that you're
making for both yourself and the program you're leaving. And
also you mentioned salary cap. A lot of people may
be confused about that. In the college space, we don't
have time for it. But it is about to be
the wild wild West if you haven't dug in deep
on House versus NC DOUBLEA on the impact of essentially
(32:05):
what's going to be a certain amount of money allocated
to each school each year based on the TV rights
package deals. They will get to decide of their own
right who that money goes to. They could give twenty
million to a quarterback that they want to come that
they think is going to win a title, and zero
to everyone else. They can split it between basketball and football,
they can give it to just men, they can give
it to just women.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Ha ha. That would never happen. And that's gonna be wild.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Because also when you're recruiting, you're gonna have to start
telling players, hey, we have this much of our nil
house versus NC double a budget allocated to our women's
basketball team, and I'm willing to give you thirty five
percent of it right for the first year, But then
the second year the amount changes, and then we have
to change the percentage because now we have to also
act like a pro team in that way.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
It's gonna be a mess.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Yeah, it's gonna keep a lot of lawyers in business,
I'll say a lot of lawyers in business. But also
on top of that, it's like, where does Title nine
fit into all that? Ye, women's sports you described a
rocket ship and then we have this going well, but
we're going to give you eighty five percent of it
to in sports and so and I am all for that.
(33:11):
I want men's sports to continue to do great things.
I'm not trying to take anything away from that. But
how does do these decisions ride the wave of where
women's sports are showing they can go and.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Ultimately the might they reinforce decades and decades of history,
which is while men perform, so we'll give it to them. Oh,
we've never tried to see if women will perform if
we give it to them, we're going to continue to
not do like It's just it could be a repeat
of that and fights we've already had over and over again.
I want to talk to you quickly about your player
rotation and how that affects the transfer portal, because this
is something you're learning as you go. You have these
(33:42):
nine player rotations that are great for basketball and for
the team, but they are hard when you have to
convince people to stay on your team and get the
attention and the time and the points and the whatever
that they need.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Are you gonna have to adjust that with the transfer portal.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
I don't think actually it's gonna be more. I think
it's actually gonna be less. I think you can do
it maybe more during this early in the season, but
there's gonna be an adjustment where people are like, well,
but I thought this was gonna happen or I thought
I would owe this or can I just get a
few minutes, And I'm like, there's no you know, charity
(34:19):
minutes here. You know, like this is a pro model. Now,
this is professional sports, and you're gonna have to perform.
It doesn't mean I love you any less off the court,
doesn't mean I'm pouring into you or your development any less.
But the reality is is that we have a responsibility
to perform. We have a responsibility to win, and you know,
I'm gonna play the people that are gonna help us
(34:41):
do that. And if that means that, I'm gonna have
to now plan that if you're not in the top eight,
probably you're not gonna get much time. And if that's
going to be the case, then we're gonna have to
have some I'm gonna have to plan accordingly that probably
more and more people are gonna leave.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Yeah, that's hard.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Some are arriving, though, like Sianna Betts, five star recruit
es fans number two player in the twenty twenty four class,
joining her superstar sister Lauren, who is already completely unguardable
and a total problem. Now we're gonna have another Bets
in the mix there. I was just at a conference
last week and I was talking to you about this,
and you got to watch this. I'm so glad you did,
(35:17):
because these two sisters. What a fascinating dynamic. So much love,
so much support, and so much tension. Oh my goodness,
what a special, unique, contentious relationship sisters have, and particularly
when they both are extremely talented. And this is unique
because the younger sister's dream was UCLA and it was
(35:39):
not Lauren's dream, but she transferred to you, tell me
how you're gonna deal with all of this magic and challenge.
Speaker 4 (35:47):
Well, first of.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
All, they both want to win, and I think that's
what I keep going back to, is right now, do
you help each other win? And that has to trump
everything else, right, And so you know, the reality is
a Sienna. You know, it was hard when when Lauren
committed to us to transfer. You know, Sienna wasn't very
(36:09):
happy for a while, and so really trying to convince
her for that one year that this could be a
really cool thing. It was really a neat actually story
that Sienna was on her visit and Lauren was in
her first year at UCLA, and Lauren did a whole
PowerPoint presentation about why Sienna needed to be a Bruin
and I look over and just tears down Sienna's face.
(36:32):
There is a love there and a connection there. But uh,
Sienna is not Lauren's little sister. And that's the biggest
thing I am going to protect if I can, I
won't be able to protect it all the time. Is
that Sienna is on her own incredible journey and I
can't wait to see that unfold. And she is not
Lauren's sister. She is Sienna and that's it, and so
(36:54):
and and Lauren the same. And I think there will
be challenges in that, but I just keep going back
to why did you choose us? And what you say
you want to get accomplished and your behaviors need to
match that.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
And that doesn't change just because your sister is here.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Absolutely, but it does add some interesting wrinkles. It could
be absolutely incredible, and it'd also be a very new.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Challenge for you.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Yeah, and I didn't have enough right exactly, I didn't
have enough.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
To do. List what have you learned over the years
thirty years of coaching about how each individual person needs
to be coached, differently led, differently managed, inspired, motivated differently.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
I think the biggest thing is uh, you know, I know,
I keep going back to coach John Wooden, but he
said the biggest form of partiality is to treat every
player the same. And I think there's a misnomer that
if you're treating players differently, that means you're changing the
standards for them.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
Those are not the same.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
I can my style of teaching can be different and
still hold the standard the same.
Speaker 4 (37:57):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
Sienna and Lauren are actually a great sample of this.
I think I will coach Siena much differently than I
coach Lauren. And you know, they are wired differently, they're
motivated differently, they have different things that get in their way.
Speaker 4 (38:12):
You know.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
I always say that performance equels potential minus interferences. So
really it's not about how much talent you have, but
how you manage.
Speaker 4 (38:19):
We all have interferences that come in.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
How you manage those And I just think that it
all goes back to genuine relationships and authentic culture, because
if you don't have genuine relationships and understand what each
individual's interference, you know, is, then you're going to have
a hard time helping them reach their potential.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
So you know, I think that you can ever substitute.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
Quality time and really being a good listener, and as
that happens, you earn the credibility. My mom used to say,
you have to earn or you have to listen to
one hundred mundane things to have enough credibility to say
the one really important thing. And I think that's a
lot of coaching, right is that is I need to
listen to a lot of mundane things and just be
(39:03):
in their world and care about them for whatever is
important to them to earn enough credibility and to have
enough deposits so that I can say the one really
hard thing that's or that pivotal.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Or that they can share the one thing that's really pivotal. Exactly,
they have to share those hundred things with you and
have you be there to hear them and see them
so they feel comfortable enough to tell you the thing
that you actually.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Need to hear in order to help them well.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
And I encourage anyone to read the article about Lauren
Bets's journey in her mental health. That's exactly what I'm
thinking of and and it will inspire you. Her courage
has taught me so much, but the reality of that is,
that's exactly what happened. And I give my associate head coach,
Shannon lebuff is probably the best I've ever known in
(39:46):
doing just that.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Is she related to Shia Labuff, not that I know of,
but you know she like combination, justsed on some of
his previous as I.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
Would think not because she's about as pure hearted and
steady as I've ever known.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
So, now, what's the thing you do differently now that
in your early years of coaching? I know you have
this great story about a player from UCSB that taught
you a ton that's now in this weird.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
Unique I was texting with her right before this. She
didn't even know I was here.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
She's in New York right now, but she will walk
on for us at U see Santa Barbara.
Speaker 4 (40:19):
Her name is Melissa Corpus.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
And now her fiance is on Real Housewives of New York,
so if you want to check it out, Raquel, we
just love their whole family. But when she was came
to Santa Barbara, she you know, we are so easy
to be entitled and to take things for granted. And
she came as a walk on and right before and
(40:42):
she didn't travel with us and right before we went
on a trip for Thanksgiving, we gave her a one
Duffel bag of gear, and she not only wore the
gear the entire time we were gone, but she wore
the Duffel bag and all she kept saying. She had
the straps on Thanksgiving dinner and she had it all
with her and she just just kept saying, this is
(41:03):
the most amazing thing ever. And she just was like
going on and on, and she was so full of
gratitude the whole year that it brought joy that was
contagious to everyone around her. And she had the most
she could have complained about. She did the same amount
of work and everything else. And then on top of
it all, she had a life threatening kidney disease and
(41:26):
we ended up she ended up having a kidney transplant
and is doing amazing praise God that she's doing right now,
but up to this day. But one of the things
that she said was basketball saved my life, and I
thought maybe she she meant the kidneys, you know, and
it wasn't even that. She's like, you know, a lot
(41:47):
of people in her family are have tough choices.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
And have ended up in not so good places.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
And she said, you know, I'm the only one in
my family that had basketball, and it absolutely changed the
trajectory of my life. And now she's a PhD, incredible psychologist,
worked her way through NYU to get her PhD by Djning.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
In Manhattan, of all things.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
But it just taught me that the structure and life
lessons and combined with gratitude, changes people's lives. And I
don't care if it's my first year of coaching or
now that's ultimate goal.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
And you never know what someone's bringing to you, right
like you never would have known that her family had
all those struggles, had so many people incarcerated, all this stuff.
You just would have known that she had had a
little different than you. And then she shows up and
the gratitude and everything pours into you as well.
Speaker 3 (42:38):
I definitely would say, I just have to say that
my players have taught me more than I've taught. Yeah,
and that's probably what keeps me young and keeps me
in this and when that, if that ever flips, I'll
get out.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
Yeah. Well we do have to get out because we're
out of time.
Speaker 3 (42:52):
Everybody, Coreclost, thanks everyone, thank you very.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
Yes, thanks to us for the honor of hosting the
summit again and to coach Close for being such an
honest and authentic interview. We got to take another break
when we come back. Another shameless plug because this is
my show and the book is good, damn it.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
Welcome back, slices.
Speaker 1 (43:21):
We love that you're listening, but we want you to
get in the game every day too, So here's our
good game play of the day.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Pre Order my book, guys.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
I got my hands on a copy for the very
first time this weekend, and holding the final hardcover book
was genuinely surreal. So I'm gonna be bugging y' all
about it leading up to that June third release, but
for now, I'm just going to tell you I hope
you order it.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Pre Orders are so so important.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
We'll put the link in our show notes, and we
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don't forget to subscribe, rate and review. It's easy. Watch
Nike's Asia A one ADS rating one of one, just
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find the newly released commercials for Asia Wilson's A one
(44:05):
signature basketball shoes available to buy online on Wednesday. The
details in the ad from the A one logo and
the name Asia made of beads in a little girl's braids,
to the iconic leg sleeve on a pack of cheerleaders,
to cameos from her parents and a dancing down Staley.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
It's just perfection.
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One of the ads has a little girl teaching Asia
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You know.
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Asia Wilson's on top, top top, and it was directed
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Speaker 2 (44:47):
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Speaker 1 (44:54):
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iheartwomen's sports production
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Our editors are Emily Rutter, Britney Martinez, and Grace Lynch.
(45:17):
Our associate producer is Lucy Jones, and I'm Your Host
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Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we've spent
all morning clapping and singing. Asia Wilson's on top, top Top,
can't take.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Her spot, Spot Spot.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
It's Monday, May fifth, and on today's show you'll hear
my conversation with friend of the show, Corey Close, head
coach of UCLA women's basketball, from Thursday's espn W summit
in NYC.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
We talk about trying.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
To feel pride in a great season despite a disappointing ending,
the challenges of the transfer portal and watching players leave
her program, the unique challenge that she's going to face
coaching sisters Lauren and Sienna Betts, and coaching hearts not
jump shots. Plus it's been a while since we got
you up on the news. From world records to coaching changes,
playoff berths to statues, a whole lot has happened in
(00:44):
the last week, so we'll get to everything you need
to know. Plus preseason WNBA action and an ad deserving
of a Queen. It's all coming up right after this
welcome back slices. Here's what you need to know today
(01:07):
in WNBA news. The twenty twenty five preseason got underway
over the weekend, and in exciting fashion, for the first
time in the league's twenty nine seasons, every preseason contest
will air on national television or stream online, which means
no more watching on a fans cell phone live stream.
This is progress, people, big time progress. Fans were treated
(01:29):
to two of those national TV games on I on
Friday night. First, the Dallas Wings fell to the new
look Las Vegas Aces Squad one twelve seventy eight that
game on Notre Dames home floor. Number one overall pick
Page Becker's getting the start in that game, posting ten
points and four rebounds for the Wings in.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Her first w action.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Fellow Dallas rookies JJ Quinnerley and Aiah James added sixteen
and ten points, respectively. It was also a homecoming for
Dallas guard Arigaygunbawale, longtime ACES star Jackie Young, and new
Aces acquisition Jewel All Notre Dame Melums. Later that night,
My Chicago Sky defeated the Brazilian national team eighty nine
sixty two in a homecoming game for Angel Reese and
(02:09):
for number eleven pick Hayley van Lith that took place
at LSU's Pete Marovitch Assembly center Reese checked out with
a fifteen point, ten rebound double double, while HVL notched
seven points and five assists in her first WNBA action.
Then on Saturday, it was the Indiana Fever and Washington
Mystics putting on a show for viewers on NBATV and
(02:29):
those in person at Gainbridge Field House. In the first
overtime game of the preseason. Indy pulled out the seventy
nine to seventy four win behind twenty one points and
eight boards from new acquisition Sophie Cunningham. Both teams got
strong contributions from their draft picks as well, most notably
number three picks Sonya Citron posting fifteen points and four
rebounds for DC. No Caitlin Clark in that game as
(02:51):
she rested a leg injury, but she was in action
on Sunday when the Fever took its turn against Brazil
back at Carver Hawkeye Arena on the Iowa campus, whereas
were lined up down the street to see Clark back
on her college court, sink and trays, and she was
in mid season mid court three form, already draining from
deep and given the crowd a show. The Fever crews
in that one one oh eight forty four. We'll get
(03:13):
some more first looks at teams and players this week.
And one thing I noticed about getting to watch all
this WNBA preseason action for the first time, it's not
just that it's exciting to watch sure things like Page
Beckers get their first pro minutes. We're also getting to
watch bubble players and draft picks that are bubble players
get minutes. And with some popular college players already getting
(03:34):
cut from teams and surely more cuts to come, I'm
actually really glad that fans are being given the chance
to see these games. Not only can you see them
fighting for those spots and maybe start to understand why
they don't make it, but also, while you hope it's
not the case for some of these players, it could
end up being their only WNBA action, so it's nice
for fans to get to see it. Speaking of, with
(03:56):
roster spots at a premium, cuts are inevitable, especially for
rook keys, and sometimes.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
They happen before they even get in a game, which we.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Saw on Saturday when the Golden State Valkyries waved number
seventeen draft pick Chyenne Sellers before the Mariland grad got
any run at all in a violet jersey, and unfortunately,
we've already seen some heartbreaking injuries in this young season.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Two.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Former Kentucky guard and Mystics number six draft pick Georgia
Amore sidelined indefinitely with an ACL injury suffered in practice
last week. Also, Seattle Storm forward Katie Lou Samuelson is
missing this season with her own ACL tair also sustained
during practice. We're wishing both of them the best and
we're sending out injury free vibes for the rest of
the WNBA preseason. More hoops all of season two of
(04:41):
ESPN's Full Court Press is now available on Disney Plus
and ESPN Plus. This season follows Notre Dames Hanna Hidalgo,
Lsusvlaje Johnson, and USC's Keiky Erie Fen, who's now with
the Washington Mystics in the w By the way, speaking
of Hannah Hidalgo, did y'all see that clip of her
and former teammate who recently transferred, Olivia Miles. The two
(05:03):
were in a very heated conversation at this weekend's WNBA
game back at Notre Dame, and a security member eventually
appeared to encourage them to take their conversation out of
public view. Very interesting. We'll post the clip to our
show notes if you want to check it out to
NWSL news. Chicago Stars FC made a big change Wednesday,
letting go of head coach Lorne Donaldson. Donaldson, the former
(05:26):
Jamaica women's national team head coach, had been with the
Stars since last season. He took over a team that
finished dead last in twenty twenty three and led them
to a ten fourteen and two regular season record last
year with a playoff berth. This season, though, Chicago holds
a one to five to zero record, currently in fourteenth
place in the league. Now, they've been without star Mouse
Wantson all season, and they started the year with just
(05:48):
five defenders on the roster, so many are wondering if
Donaldson was in any position to succeed either way. He's gone,
and the club's first assistant coach, Masaki Hemi, will step
in as interim head coach while the search for a
new leader takes place. This is the team's third coaching
search in four seasons. In on field action, both of
the NWSL's top teams, number one Kansas City Current and
(06:11):
number two Orlando Pride, dropped their games over the weekend.
On Friday, it was Seattle rain FC stymying the current
winning one nail up in the Pacific Northwest behind Lynd
Biandolo's first goal for her new club, and then on Saturday,
the Portland Thorns put one in the side of the Pride,
also earning a one nail victory. Raynarees strike in the
sixteenth minute gave Portland the edge more NWSL. The league
(06:33):
confirmed to ESPN in a statement on Friday that it's
formally applied to the US Soccer Federation to launch a
Division two women soccer league, with plans to kick off
in twenty twenty six. Now Persebia Sports. Eight of the
fourteen NWSL teams have already committed to the D two league,
and each club would be required to have a second
tier team within the first four years. The idea behind
this second division is to offer a player development pipeline
(06:56):
under the NWSL, selling that fans and players and execs
have been hungry for in recent years. Commissioner Jessica Berman
telling ESPN quote, it's not as if the players aren't there.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
They're there.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
They need to be identified, they need to be in
the right technical environment. They need to be invested in
and developed in an age appropriate way that allows for
them to ultimately graduate into what we need for our
teams as we continue to scale, and what the US
national team needs as well.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
End quote. So more footy news.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
We got a shout out nwslstar Midge Purse of Gotham FC.
She isn't just talented on the pitch, she got acting
chops too. Purse made her Broadway debut on Thursday, delivering
the opening monologue for the critically acclaimed musical Chicago.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Now.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
This isn't the first time Purse has flexed her creative
muscles outside of competition. You remember, of course, she also
created NWSL reality series The Off Season, which debuted last
year to PWHL News. With playoff spots on the line,
it all came down to Saturday's regular season finales. Marie
Philip Puland scored twice to lead the Montreal Victoire to
a three two winner for the New York Sirens that
(07:56):
secured them the top spot for the postseason. The Ottawa
Charge or to playoff birth with a two to one
overtime winner for the Toronto Scepters, who had already clinched
their spot in the playoffs in the Minnesota Frost grabbed
the final spot with an eight to one win over
the Boston Fleet. Now, the first four games of the
playoffs run Wednesday to Sunday, with the Montreal Victoire on
Toronto Scepterors hosting the first two games of best of
(08:17):
five semi finals. In the PWHL, the top seeded team
actually gets to select its semi final opponent, and on
Sunday night, the Victoire elected to face the three seed
Ottawa Charge, so it'll be Montreal versus Ottawa and Toronto
versus Minnesota. Also little bit of bulletin material for Ottawa
as Montreal chose to face them instead of the lower
(08:38):
seeded Frost. Of course, the Frost last year's PWHL champions.
This is the last PWHL playoffs stemming from a pool
of six teams because the league announced a second expansion
team on Wednesday, bringing next season's total to eight teams.
Seattle named as the next city getting a franchise. Vancouver
was announced as the first expansion team back on April twenty,
(08:58):
third to the pool where Katie Ldeki broke her own
world record en route to winning the eight hundred meter
freestyle on Saturday night in a TYR Pro Swim Series
meet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Ladeki now the owner of
the ten fastest eight hundred times ever and twenty three
of the top twenty five races at the distance. It
was her first world record swim in seven years. At
(09:20):
that same event, American Gretchen Walsh also twice lowered her
own world record in the one hundred meter butterfly, winning
that race Saturday night in Track News Grand Slam Track
the Pro League created by Team USA, Olympic legend and
four time gold medalist Michael Johnson, held its second Slam
of twenty twenty five this past weekend, and friend of
the show and Team USA gold medalist Massi Russell put
(09:40):
together a historic performance in the women's one hundred meter
hurdles on the first night of racing. She ran a
win legal twelve seventeen to set a new American record.
That winning time also the second fastest in world history.
We see you, Massi, and we also see you Akira Nugent,
who actually bested Massi for the short hurdles slam win.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
She combined a third place finish in.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
The hundred hurdles with a win in the one hundred
meters All You Race. Officionado's Grand Slam track has two
more slams on the schedule for this year to get
excited for we'll link to the schedule in our show notes.
And some more track news. Athlos NYC, the women's track
event organized and back by Alexis Ohanian, is returning in October,
and it's now boasting some field to a new event,
(10:24):
the long jump. Tara Davis Woodhall, who took home gold
in longtip at the Paris Olympics, is set to headline
the list of competitors come fall. Athlos's twenty twenty five
meet will take place on October tenth. In addition to
the long jump, there will be races in the one hundred,
two hundred, four hundred, eight hundred and fifteen hundred meter
as well as one hundred meter hurdles. A track at field, folks,
you're getting fed today. Go ahead and put that on
(10:46):
your calendar too. In rugby news, a record breaking night
on Friday as Canada defeated Alonamar in the US twenty
six to fourteen in front of ten thousand, five hundred
and eighteen fans in Kansas City. That's the biggest attendance
for a women's rugby game ever in the US. The
teams were facing off in the Pacific Four Series, which
is a four team tournament also featuring Australia and New
(11:07):
Zealand as they continue to prep for this summer's Rugby
World Cup in England. Finally, last week, the city of
Columbia honored South Carolina women's basketball coach Don Staley with
a statue on Senate Street.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
Since being hired at SC in two thousand.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
And eight, Stay has led the game Cocks to three
national championships, seven NCAA Final fours, nine SCC regular season championships,
and nine SEC tournament titles. She's also helped thirteen Game
Cocks earn twenty nine All America selections and has sent
eighteen players to the WNBA Draft, eleven of them first
round picks. Staley rejected the idea of getting a statue
(11:41):
at first, but it was those future generations that changed
her mind. She said, quote, I agreed to this statue
not for me, but for the girl who walks by
one day and wonders who I was. I hope she
sees I was a champion for equity and equality. All right,
slices before we hit a break, got a shout out
a story about our good game side Minnesota Aurora FC,
(12:02):
written by.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Friend of the show Jenna Tanelli.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
It outlines the moves that the pre professional club has
been making to lay the foundation for a jump to
the pro ranks. We'll link to it in our show
notes so you can give it a read. Also a reminder, y'all,
the Aurora's two game preseason starts May eleventh, and the
regular season kicks off with their home opener on May
twenty second, so mark your calendars. I'm hoping to make
it out there for the June twelfth game, so I'll
(12:25):
give you more on a slices get together that maybe
we could put together if I can swing it. I
also want to shout out friends of the show, Ali
Riley and Sid LaRue on the recent launch of their
BFFR podcast. They've got undeniable energy and chemistry and that
show has been so fun to watch on social so
a podcast is going to be great. We love to
see him thrive, and we'll link to a story about
the pod launch and where you can subscribe in our
(12:47):
show notes. All Right, we got to take a quick
break when we come back coaching hearts with Corey close
stick around. I'd like to bring up someone who did
more this year, more than ever before in the history
(13:08):
of her program, first ever trip to the Final four
with her team. She's the head women's basketball coach for UCLA.
She has been since twenty eleven. Last season, she led
her squad to the program's first ever overall NCUBA Tournament
number one seed and their first ever trip to the
Final Four. Before UCLA, she had a couple stops as
an assistant coach, including at Florida State and UC Santa Barbara,
(13:29):
and back at UCLA as an assistant. As a player
for UC Santa Barbara, she was team captain for two seasons,
led them to the NCAA Tournament. In both seasons, she
was mentored by the legendary John Wooden. She drops knowledge
while driving in her car rides with Corey series. She's
the AP Nate Smith and WBCA Coach of the Year.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
It's Corey glos.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
Coach that bio is getting longer and longer. I just
need to hang out with you more often. It's way
better than it actually is.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
Well that is, first of all, not true, and secondarily,
I'm gonna start cutting it so we have more time
to talk. What a season for you, unbelievable. Now, of
course you want to win it all. Every year, you
want to win it all. Your team came up short
in the final four against the eventual winners in Yukon.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
That's such a nice way of saying it. Thank you,
kep short. Yeah, a little short, a little short, little short.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
How long before that disappointment subsided and the raining emotion
could be joy about what you'd achieved?
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Or are we still working on it?
Speaker 4 (14:32):
I'm still waiting on it.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
There's this thing called the transfer portal, and you know,
so literally the moment we touched down after the final four,
it has been fourteen hours a day ever since then.
Speaker 4 (14:44):
But there will be a time.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
We did have one night where we had our celebration
banquet that I was able to go, oh my gosh,
we did do that. But I'm not there yet, but
I am sure going to get there.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
That's hard.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
It is hard.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
That stinks. Yeah, it had such a great season.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
It is just part of our new landscape and as
a whole sport, and it's some things we need to
address in that. But I'm not going to forget about it,
but it is. You know, we're talking about growing women's
sports and NIL and all the different things, and the
reality of how that translates in my world is I
got the ground running right now.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
I want to get to the transfer portal later, but
I want to ask you an honest question. If not
for the transfer portal, do you think you would have
landed and been able to process what happened and be
happy or is that just who you are that you're
going to take a while to get over the disappointment.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
I think both, you know, honestly, you know, I think
that I usually, you know, do a deep dive and
sort of like what happened?
Speaker 4 (15:36):
What can I learn? And those kinds of things.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
But I do try to pause and count the victories
good and I want to live in sort of a
healthy tension of diving deep about how I can grow
and what it taught me and celebrating the things that
we did right and we want to continue to do right.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Satisfaction in the moment is super important, even if you're ambitious.
You've been at UCLA for fourteen seasons, the last ten
of them postseason runs, last year's Sweet sixteen this year
final four.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
You just keep building. So in your mind, what would.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
You say were the keys to getting the program where
it is now, where you're among the best in the country.
Speaker 2 (16:08):
What was the intention there?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Well, I think it's you know, coaching within your lane
in terms of knowing who I am and I you know,
you mentioned being mentored by John Wooden. One of the
biggest gifts he gave me was that it was never
about trying to do it like somebody else. He would
always say, Hey, don't do it like me, do it
like you're made to do it. And I think one
of the keys for me is being really principal centered
(16:32):
and value based and knowing exactly what kind of program
was going to fit my leadership. And I think, you know,
there's a big piece of consistency growth that surrounds knowing
who you are and the way you want to lead.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Yeah, I mean, I think you mentioned Woden. You had
Tuesdays with wooden seventeen year mentorship. You're just an assistant. Yeah,
starting out at UCLA, you're terrified to meet him, yep,
and you end up having a seventeen relationship where you're
now taking jobs far away and working to come back
and make sure you keep that connection. What was the
best or the biggest takeaway from those years with him?
Speaker 3 (17:09):
I'm always asked that, and it's like it's this rolodex
that goes if anyone knows what a rolodex still is,
and yeah, I'm not.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
But also important note, and you can be honest, is
there any young person.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Here doesn't know who John Wooden is? We will not
be met.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
Most of my recruits don't until I educate them.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
Okay, yeah, Like just just a legend of coaching, not just.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
Basketball more national championships, ten national championships in.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Twelve years US and caremid of success is in every office,
in every basketball of Like it's just it's worth noting
that that is what we're talking about here is someone
who took you under his wing, verry late in his life.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
Very late in his life.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
And you know, I just got done going to the
Wooden Awards and his whole family was there, his you know,
his grandkids and really his great granddaughter Corey is the
reason I got in the door that my name was
spelled correctly like hers. But I think that you know
the biggest thing for me learning under him was it
(18:04):
was really never about the championships. That was a by
product of coaching young men's hearts. For him, it was
the men's basketball team. And he used to always say,
you know, you're not coaching people's jump shots.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
You're coaching people's hearts.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
But if you coach their hearts really well, usually their
jump shots end up pretty good too. Yeah, And it
really was about He used to always say, I don't
judge a season by whether we win the championship or not.
I judge a season, all right, judge my coaching of
young men, of who they are ten years down the road,
twenty years down the road. And you know, he really
taught me that the only two things that stay with
(18:40):
you for the rest of your life from these four
years as a student athlete is who you become and
who you impact. And all the championships, all those other
things are really a byproduct of doing those things.
Speaker 1 (18:52):
Well. I think the underestimation of culture is so massive,
particularly now when there is so much movement, or when
athletes you believe that they can kind of just coach themselves,
or you know, I think I always find when I
look at championship teams early in the season, there's already
like a little bit of magic there that you see
between them, and then when they win later, you're like, oh,
(19:13):
we kind of saw this all along. And then there's
really talented teams that should be winning more and they're
just missing whatever that is. And to me, that's usually coaching,
and that's bringing people together around things that are much
bigger than just the x's and o's are.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
And that's such a huge part of your job.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
You've been coaching in some capacity for thirty years, which
is crazy. You're now the winningest coach in Ucilly women's basketball.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
So while these hot flashes keep happening.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Yeah, that way Chili Faudi calls that personal summer.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Oh perfect, Yeah, I knew, I love Faudy. Okay, A
nice way to put a spin on something exactly. To
study with science so we understand this absolutely.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
I want to hear how your job has changed since
nineteen ninety three, because yes, it's been x's and oaths,
but I'm thinking about what's happened since ninety You have
cell phones that arrive in the locker room, you have
nil deals, the transfer portal leaps and TV coverage popularity
are known walking around campus. They're making millions of dollars.
The professionalization of the game is so good. It also
means player management, team building, Your interactions with the athletic
(20:11):
department and everything else have changed.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
How do you sum up what that.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Thirty years has been like in terms of growth and
understanding what's different now?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Well, I think, you know, you were used to be
leading a team and now we're leading an organization. And
I think, so, you know, the good news is that
we're experiencing all that growth. The bad news is there's
a lot of competing things that could have the potential
to erode your values or the reason people have fallen
in love.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
With women's sports.
Speaker 3 (20:38):
And so I think the balance of trying to lead
into opportunity, lead into great business models to maximize and
pivot for what the women's sports industry is demanding of
me as a leaders who's in essence of CEO now
and still coaching people's hearts and caring about culture and seeing, Okay,
(20:59):
where do we need to go?
Speaker 4 (21:00):
So what are these changes of landscapes really mean?
Speaker 3 (21:03):
And how do we reverse engineer so that we're maximizing
opportunities and pushing forward as well as really you know,
staying with coaching people's hearts and knowing what you're made
of as an organization, and there's no substitute for that.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
How do you get the players to buy carefully? Yeah,
Like if you're a kid and someone's dangling a bunch
of money, and that's awesome, and that's great and we
love that for them, but you have to help them
see the bigger picture, the longer road, the future, and
what it looks like if they keep the main thing,
the main thing, which is.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
Ultimately putting the ball in the basket.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
Like, if you forget that, the money and the cool
stuff goes away. Yeah, And how do you cause I
hate to say it, but like, coaching people's hearts sounds
corny if it's not followed by authenticity and everyday investment
in people. So how do you get them to buy
in that that's really what you're doing and you're not
trying to use those platitudes to access some next level
(21:56):
of basketball performance.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
Well, I think there's two things. One is we still
are demanding.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
The standard is a standard, and there are still championship
habits that need to be upheld. And that's in how
we interact, that's in how we practice, that's in all
the different areas of our organization. So you know, the
standards don't change because people are pouring in money. It
just takes more responsibility to much as given, much as required.
But I think the other part of it is playing
(22:23):
the scenario out for them and.
Speaker 4 (22:25):
Say, hey, is that enough?
Speaker 3 (22:26):
What if you do chase the money and what if
you get all the money you want?
Speaker 2 (22:30):
Is that enough?
Speaker 4 (22:31):
And I really believe.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
That comparison is not only the thief of all joy,
it also stunts your maximum growth. So I'm like, you know,
is that what you want? I always say, if you
want to do nothing, you can experience self centeredness and
a titlement and because that's just what the culture will
tell you. But if you want to have a healthy organization,
you want to have great relationships with your teammates, if
(22:54):
you want to be proud of who you've become at
the end of that season or the end of your
four years. Now you've got to Now you've got to
be willing to put your phone away and not check
social media of how they define you. But you have
to be willing to have pure accountability of how those
values are playing out. I just think, you know, I
just say what do you want at the end of
your road?
Speaker 1 (23:14):
Right?
Speaker 3 (23:14):
And is that enough? And I know a lot of
people who have won championships and have been really empty
and lonely the next day because they didn't keep the
main thing the main thing, and they didn't really do
it the right way, that that was a byproduct and
not the outcome being the most important thing.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
It's like so cheesy, but the process is really the point.
It really not the end to point, because there are
so many Olympic gold medalists that are like, oh wow,
I thought when I finally want it would fix all
my problems. You has fixed zero of my problems. That
the problems were unrelated to my goal of winning. It
was who I was, or who my relationships were and
all those other things.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Well, just real quickly.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
I always think about when Kobe Bryant was having his
banner raised number retired in then Staples and he said,
you know, this is not reward. The greatest reward of
my career was the work and who I became as
a result of the work. And I just always remember
that that that is the real reward in all this.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
That's a good story to tell you your players.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
And I know another one you tell your players involved
putting on your shoes and socks.
Speaker 4 (24:17):
It's really interesting because one of the mentorship.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Relations and how hard it is to bend down as.
Speaker 4 (24:21):
You get older. Well that yeah, or really it's getting
back up.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Now they have a tool for that.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
I found, So if things really start to go awry
for me, you can use a tool to put it on.
Speaker 4 (24:29):
Can you send me that? That would be great?
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Okay, well, but that is really an amazing story that
I'd heard a hundred times. Coach wouldn't used to tell
everybody that the number one thing he did on the
first day of practice is teaches players how to put
on their shoes and socks the exact same way and
to do it the right way and as well. Of
course he needed to do that. They had terrible shoes
and they got blisters, right, But I really missed the point.
And all these years later, when I became the head
(24:52):
coach at UCLA, I would bring in his former players
to do that for us, and one year it.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
Was rayfer Johnson.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
He passed away several years ago, but he Olympic gold medalist,
you know, lit the torch in the eighty four Olympics.
So on and so forth also played basketball UCLA, and
he was teaching our players and he was just meticulously saying, well,
then you do this, and then you do that in
this gentle voice. And I was like, oh, isn't this cute.
We're keeping the memory alive. But he really got me
(25:20):
because at the end of it, he looked around our
room and he said, you know, actually I was really
insecure when I played basketball for Coach Winden. There was
all these all Americans, and I just was a track
guy that could run fast.
Speaker 4 (25:31):
And he said, but it didn't matter. We had guys from.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Different religions, different backgrounds, different geography, different strengths. And he said,
but we actually learned how to become a team because
we all started by putting our shoes and socks on
the same way. I thought, oh, it's not just about
avoiding blisters.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yep, no, no, no, no, so simple, but very very profound.
You mentioned the transfer portal London Jones, one of your
players entered the transfer portal and has now headed of
all places to your crosstown rival US. How do you
imagine that matchup will be the first time you're on
the court facing off against her.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Well, a mix of emotions because I will always adore.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
And love London Jones.
Speaker 3 (26:12):
And you know, we had really honest conversations right when
we got back about what do you want for this
senior year? And then is there alignment of what I
can promise you? And there I had this moment. I
didn't know it was going to happen at our banquet,
but I go through the top ten moments, and I
had talked about just her career and there's there's no animosity,
it's it's I just I deeply love her and she
(26:34):
will always be a part of that building process that
you eloquently described. And I bottom line is is that
if I'm going to be true to my word about
coaching people's hearts, I will root for her every game
except for two.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
Yeah, you know. And honestly I was talking about.
Speaker 3 (26:51):
Her and I just lost it at the banquet and
I just looked at her and she got up out
of her seat.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
From the back of the room and just came up
and just held me.
Speaker 3 (26:59):
I can get ooked up right now thinking about it,
because bottom line is, we've shared so much and so
you know, the transfer portal will always be hard. It's
not even though it's a lot more now. It has
always been hard. It breaks my heart every time somebody
chooses to go to somewhere else but what I wanted
any other way, because that would mean I don't care,
(27:20):
And so I really wish her and her family the best,
and I think it was the right choice for her, honestly,
and I think we couldn't provide for her this next
year what she really wanted, and so then I need
to say go.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
And I support you one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (27:34):
I love that the Transfer Portal. Fifteen hundred and fifteen
players entered the transfer Portal when the season ended. Just
for those who don't know, you could stay with your
team even if you enter. If your coach welcomes you back,
you can go somewhere else, or your coach can say
just heads up, if you enter the transfer Portal, your
position here is no longer valuable to us or available
(27:56):
to you, and good luck. And then if they don't
find somewhere else, they go to a different division, take
a year off.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
So it's a risk.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
And I never really got the idea that, like, yeah,
if you're gone, sometimes you can come back, but you
have to have that relationship in that conversation before you
try to enter. All four players from your freshman class
entered the portal.
Speaker 4 (28:16):
Why, yeah, I think there are a lot of things.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
You know.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
Nol Fortner, who just retired from Georgia Tech and a
great coach. She said to me during the NCAA tournament.
She said, sometimes Corey, you can have too much talent.
And I think that was a reality for us that
we had thirteen I mean too many. There was only
one other team in the country that had more McDonald's
all Americans than we did, and I think there was
(28:42):
just not enough minutes to go around, and we didn't
have any seniors. We had the potential to have everybody
coming back, and so those freshmen were like, there's no
improvement chance for me. I'm not going to get more
minutes than I'm getting right now, probably, And so I
just I think I learned a lot as a leader
that probably it's impossible to keep that many people happy
(29:06):
this day and age, and so you know, they decided
that there were going to be experiences that were going
to be better for them moving on, and you know,
I think that unfortunately, that is our new normal in
terms of that if it doesn't happen pretty quickly, you
know they're going to move on, but there were four
great kids. They are four great kids, great families, and
(29:28):
you know it just it didn't work out for their
complete to complete their careers for four years.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
And you're going to root for them every game except
for when you're.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Yeah, well that is interesting because all of them except
for one went to Big ten schools and the other
one we're playing that team.
Speaker 4 (29:41):
Great, so see all of them.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Here we go ice reunion.
Speaker 4 (29:44):
Yeah, hug it up.
Speaker 1 (29:45):
How do those moves really affect your planning though, because
it almost becomes like a professional team where if you
have everyone on essentially one year deals, if you're recruiting
and thinking I'm not going to need that, I've got
another three years of this player that has a similar
skill set.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
You can't really do that anymore.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
No, you have to be very adaptable, and we're lucky
to be in a place like Los Angeles that we've
been able to actually leverage that to our own benefit.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
But I don't think everyone has that luxury.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
We've been lucky enough to have an nil budget that
can attract people, as well as to have opportunities in
LA that people want to come to on especially the
second time around.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
So, but it's really hard.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
And I think the other danger that's really important for
especially this room, is that one of the things that's
been so great about women's sports is that fan bases
can develop a connection over time. We don't have as
many one and done's before the transfer portal like men
have it in the transfer portal and in the NBA.
Speaker 4 (30:39):
We got to be.
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Careful that we really people love to support our teams
because they love to be connected to the journey of
our student athletes.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
And so I think it's a real challenge for me
as a leader in.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
With all this mobility is how do we keep the
connections with our fan base and how do we make
them still fell apart when we have a lot of turnover.
So that's going to be a real challenge that way,
But it really is a pro model. Now we need
to have some better boundaries. We need Congress to get involved,
We need some other things to help put some healthy boundaries,
salary caps and things like that in women's basketball, in
(31:12):
college sports in general. But the reality is is that
we have a different challenge now.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
It is not the same.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
It is not our We can't pretend it's this amateur,
little pure college environment anymore. It is a pro model
with some additions of scholarships and going to class and
other things. But I have to adopt as a leader,
and we're going to have to try to find a
healthy tension in that.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
And I think that's what a lot of people are saying.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
They're saying, we agree with the transfer portal and players
having the chance to make a choice the same way
coaches can leave.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
But there might need to be some more guardrails around.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Maybe it's the first one is a freebie, I agree,
and then after that you have to sit out a
year to make it really worth that decision that you're
making for both yourself and the program you're leaving. And
also you mentioned salary cap. A lot of people may
be confused about that. In the college space, we don't
have time for it. But it is about to be
the wild wild West if you haven't dug in deep
on House versus NC DOUBLEA on the impact of essentially
(32:05):
what's going to be a certain amount of money allocated
to each school each year based on the TV rights
package deals. They will get to decide of their own
right who that money goes to. They could give twenty
million to a quarterback that they want to come that
they think is going to win a title, and zero
to everyone else. They can split it between basketball and football,
they can give it to just men, they can give
it to just women.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Ha ha. That would never happen. And that's gonna be wild.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Because also when you're recruiting, you're gonna have to start
telling players, hey, we have this much of our nil
house versus NC double a budget allocated to our women's
basketball team, and I'm willing to give you thirty five
percent of it right for the first year, But then
the second year the amount changes, and then we have
to change the percentage because now we have to also
act like a pro team in that way.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
It's gonna be a mess.
Speaker 3 (32:51):
Yeah, it's gonna keep a lot of lawyers in business,
I'll say a lot of lawyers in business. But also
on top of that, it's like, where does Title nine
fit into all that? Ye, women's sports you described a
rocket ship and then we have this going well, but
we're going to give you eighty five percent of it
to in sports and so and I am all for that.
(33:11):
I want men's sports to continue to do great things.
I'm not trying to take anything away from that. But
how does do these decisions ride the wave of where
women's sports are showing they can go and.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Ultimately the might they reinforce decades and decades of history,
which is while men perform, so we'll give it to them. Oh,
we've never tried to see if women will perform if
we give it to them, we're going to continue to
not do like It's just it could be a repeat
of that and fights we've already had over and over again.
I want to talk to you quickly about your player
rotation and how that affects the transfer portal, because this
is something you're learning as you go. You have these
(33:42):
nine player rotations that are great for basketball and for
the team, but they are hard when you have to
convince people to stay on your team and get the
attention and the time and the points and the whatever
that they need.
Speaker 2 (33:55):
Are you gonna have to adjust that with the transfer portal.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
I don't think actually it's gonna be more. I think
it's actually gonna be less. I think you can do
it maybe more during this early in the season, but
there's gonna be an adjustment where people are like, well,
but I thought this was gonna happen or I thought
I would owe this or can I just get a
few minutes, And I'm like, there's no you know, charity
(34:19):
minutes here. You know, like this is a pro model. Now,
this is professional sports, and you're gonna have to perform.
It doesn't mean I love you any less off the court,
doesn't mean I'm pouring into you or your development any less.
But the reality is is that we have a responsibility
to perform. We have a responsibility to win, and you know,
I'm gonna play the people that are gonna help us
(34:41):
do that. And if that means that, I'm gonna have
to now plan that if you're not in the top eight,
probably you're not gonna get much time. And if that's
going to be the case, then we're gonna have to
have some I'm gonna have to plan accordingly that probably
more and more people are gonna leave.
Speaker 2 (34:55):
Yeah, that's hard.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
Some are arriving, though, like Sianna Betts, five star recruit
es fans number two player in the twenty twenty four class,
joining her superstar sister Lauren, who is already completely unguardable
and a total problem. Now we're gonna have another Bets
in the mix there. I was just at a conference
last week and I was talking to you about this,
and you got to watch this. I'm so glad you did,
(35:17):
because these two sisters. What a fascinating dynamic. So much love,
so much support, and so much tension. Oh my goodness,
what a special, unique, contentious relationship sisters have, and particularly
when they both are extremely talented. And this is unique
because the younger sister's dream was UCLA and it was
(35:39):
not Lauren's dream, but she transferred to you, tell me
how you're gonna deal with all of this magic and challenge.
Speaker 4 (35:47):
Well, first of.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
All, they both want to win, and I think that's
what I keep going back to, is right now, do
you help each other win? And that has to trump
everything else, right, And so you know, the reality is
a Sienna. You know, it was hard when when Lauren
committed to us to transfer. You know, Sienna wasn't very
(36:09):
happy for a while, and so really trying to convince
her for that one year that this could be a
really cool thing. It was really a neat actually story
that Sienna was on her visit and Lauren was in
her first year at UCLA, and Lauren did a whole
PowerPoint presentation about why Sienna needed to be a Bruin
and I look over and just tears down Sienna's face.
(36:32):
There is a love there and a connection there. But uh,
Sienna is not Lauren's little sister. And that's the biggest
thing I am going to protect if I can, I
won't be able to protect it all the time. Is
that Sienna is on her own incredible journey and I
can't wait to see that unfold. And she is not
Lauren's sister. She is Sienna and that's it, and so
(36:54):
and and Lauren the same. And I think there will
be challenges in that, but I just keep going back
to why did you choose us? And what you say
you want to get accomplished and your behaviors need to
match that.
Speaker 2 (37:04):
And that doesn't change just because your sister is here.
Speaker 1 (37:06):
Absolutely, but it does add some interesting wrinkles. It could
be absolutely incredible, and it'd also be a very new.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Challenge for you.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
Yeah, and I didn't have enough right exactly, I didn't
have enough.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
To do. List what have you learned over the years
thirty years of coaching about how each individual person needs
to be coached, differently led, differently managed, inspired, motivated differently.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
I think the biggest thing is uh, you know, I know,
I keep going back to coach John Wooden, but he
said the biggest form of partiality is to treat every
player the same. And I think there's a misnomer that
if you're treating players differently, that means you're changing the
standards for them.
Speaker 4 (37:49):
Those are not the same.
Speaker 3 (37:51):
I can my style of teaching can be different and
still hold the standard the same.
Speaker 4 (37:57):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
Sienna and Lauren are actually a great sample of this.
I think I will coach Siena much differently than I
coach Lauren. And you know, they are wired differently, they're
motivated differently, they have different things that get in their way.
Speaker 4 (38:12):
You know.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
I always say that performance equels potential minus interferences. So
really it's not about how much talent you have, but
how you manage.
Speaker 4 (38:19):
We all have interferences that come in.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
How you manage those And I just think that it
all goes back to genuine relationships and authentic culture, because
if you don't have genuine relationships and understand what each
individual's interference, you know, is, then you're going to have
a hard time helping them reach their potential.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
So you know, I think that you can ever substitute.
Speaker 3 (38:42):
Quality time and really being a good listener, and as
that happens, you earn the credibility. My mom used to say,
you have to earn or you have to listen to
one hundred mundane things to have enough credibility to say
the one really important thing. And I think that's a
lot of coaching, right is that is I need to
listen to a lot of mundane things and just be
(39:03):
in their world and care about them for whatever is
important to them to earn enough credibility and to have
enough deposits so that I can say the one really
hard thing that's or that pivotal.
Speaker 1 (39:14):
Or that they can share the one thing that's really pivotal. Exactly,
they have to share those hundred things with you and
have you be there to hear them and see them
so they feel comfortable enough to tell you the thing
that you actually.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
Need to hear in order to help them well.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
And I encourage anyone to read the article about Lauren
Bets's journey in her mental health. That's exactly what I'm
thinking of and and it will inspire you. Her courage
has taught me so much, but the reality of that is,
that's exactly what happened. And I give my associate head coach,
Shannon lebuff is probably the best I've ever known in
(39:46):
doing just that.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
Is she related to Shia Labuff, not that I know of,
but you know she like combination, justsed on some of
his previous as I.
Speaker 3 (39:56):
Would think not because she's about as pure hearted and
steady as I've ever known.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
So, now, what's the thing you do differently now that
in your early years of coaching? I know you have
this great story about a player from UCSB that taught
you a ton that's now in this weird.
Speaker 4 (40:10):
Unique I was texting with her right before this. She
didn't even know I was here.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
She's in New York right now, but she will walk
on for us at U see Santa Barbara.
Speaker 4 (40:19):
Her name is Melissa Corpus.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
And now her fiance is on Real Housewives of New York,
so if you want to check it out, Raquel, we
just love their whole family. But when she was came
to Santa Barbara, she you know, we are so easy
to be entitled and to take things for granted. And
she came as a walk on and right before and
(40:42):
she didn't travel with us and right before we went
on a trip for Thanksgiving, we gave her a one
Duffel bag of gear, and she not only wore the
gear the entire time we were gone, but she wore
the Duffel bag and all she kept saying. She had
the straps on Thanksgiving dinner and she had it all
with her and she just just kept saying, this is
(41:03):
the most amazing thing ever. And she just was like
going on and on, and she was so full of
gratitude the whole year that it brought joy that was
contagious to everyone around her. And she had the most
she could have complained about. She did the same amount
of work and everything else. And then on top of
it all, she had a life threatening kidney disease and
(41:26):
we ended up she ended up having a kidney transplant
and is doing amazing praise God that she's doing right now,
but up to this day. But one of the things
that she said was basketball saved my life, and I
thought maybe she she meant the kidneys, you know, and
it wasn't even that. She's like, you know, a lot
(41:47):
of people in her family are have tough choices.
Speaker 4 (41:50):
And have ended up in not so good places.
Speaker 3 (41:52):
And she said, you know, I'm the only one in
my family that had basketball, and it absolutely changed the
trajectory of my life. And now she's a PhD, incredible psychologist,
worked her way through NYU to get her PhD by Djning.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
In Manhattan, of all things.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
But it just taught me that the structure and life
lessons and combined with gratitude, changes people's lives. And I
don't care if it's my first year of coaching or
now that's ultimate goal.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
And you never know what someone's bringing to you, right
like you never would have known that her family had
all those struggles, had so many people incarcerated, all this stuff.
You just would have known that she had had a
little different than you. And then she shows up and
the gratitude and everything pours into you as well.
Speaker 3 (42:38):
I definitely would say, I just have to say that
my players have taught me more than I've taught. Yeah,
and that's probably what keeps me young and keeps me
in this and when that, if that ever flips, I'll
get out.
Speaker 2 (42:49):
Yeah. Well we do have to get out because we're
out of time.
Speaker 3 (42:52):
Everybody, Coreclost, thanks everyone, thank you very.
Speaker 1 (42:56):
Yes, thanks to us for the honor of hosting the
summit again and to coach Close for being such an
honest and authentic interview. We got to take another break
when we come back. Another shameless plug because this is
my show and the book is good, damn it.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
Welcome back, slices.
Speaker 1 (43:21):
We love that you're listening, but we want you to
get in the game every day too, So here's our
good game play of the day.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
Pre Order my book, guys.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
I got my hands on a copy for the very
first time this weekend, and holding the final hardcover book
was genuinely surreal. So I'm gonna be bugging y' all
about it leading up to that June third release, but
for now, I'm just going to tell you I hope
you order it.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
Pre Orders are so so important.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
We'll put the link in our show notes, and we
always love to hear from you, so hit us up
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don't forget to subscribe, rate and review. It's easy. Watch
Nike's Asia A one ADS rating one of one, just
like Asia review. If you haven't seen him yet, go
find the newly released commercials for Asia Wilson's A one
(44:05):
signature basketball shoes available to buy online on Wednesday. The
details in the ad from the A one logo and
the name Asia made of beads in a little girl's braids,
to the iconic leg sleeve on a pack of cheerleaders,
to cameos from her parents and a dancing down Staley.
Speaker 2 (44:22):
It's just perfection.
Speaker 1 (44:23):
One of the ads has a little girl teaching Asia
the clapping and singing routine.
Speaker 2 (44:27):
You know.
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Speaker 2 (44:47):
Too Soon, It's too Soon.
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Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iheartwomen'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
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(45:17):
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