May 15, 2025 • 31 mins
We’re in the home stretch of The Shootaround, our team-by-team previews getting you ready for tipoff of the 2025 WNBA season. Today’s subjects are the Dallas Wings and Los Angeles Sparks, two teams with nowhere to go but up. We’ve got you covered with the stars, stakes, stats and stories, a little history, a little lore, a little gossip and a little more. Plus, an update on Angel City FC defender Savy King, Brazilian soccer star Marta unretires from international competition, and could the Connecticut Sun be on the move?
- Watch Simone Biles’ commencement speech at Washington University in St. Louis here, about one hour and 45 minutes in
- See Toronto Tempo owners Serena Williams and Lilly Singh in their stunning suits here and here
- Check out Arike Ogunbowale smiling after a dime from Paige Bueckers here
- Leave us a voicemail at 872-204-5070 or send us a note at goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com
- Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.com Instagram: @Spain2323
- Follow producer Misha Jones! Bluesky: @mishthejrnalist.bsky.social Instagram: @mishthejrnalist
- Follow producer Alex Azzi! Bluesky: @byalexazzi.bsky.social
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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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 think
our college commencements would have been a whole lot more
fun with Simone Biles as the speaker, shout out to
Washington University in Saint Louis for securing the gold with
that choice. We'll link to Simone's speech in our show notes.
It's Thursday, May fifteenth, and on today's show, it's the
penultimate day of the shoot around our Team by Team
WNBA previews.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Today we're heading to Dallas and Los.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Angeles to spend a little time with two teams that
have nowhere to go but up after they finished the
twenty twenty fourth season at the bottom of the standings.
We'll get you set for Friday's WNBA season openers with
all the stars, stakes, stats and stories, a little history,
a little lower, a little gossip, and a little more,
plus retirement, retirement, a quack and comeback, and a piece
(00:44):
of the pie that comes with a dollop of hype.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
It's all coming up right after this.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Welcome back slices. Here's what you need to know today.
Let's start with the endsl where we've got an update
on Angel City defender Savvy King, who collapsed due to
a medical event during last Friday's game against the Utah Royals.
Angel City announced on Tuesday that doctors, when evaluating King,
discovered a heart abnormality and that the twenty year old
(01:14):
has undergone successful surgery. In a statement, the club said quote,
she is now resting and recovering, surrounded by her family,
and her prognosis is excellent.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Quote.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
King's family also released a statement which reads, in part
quote on behalf of our entire family along with Savv.
We have been so moved by the love and support
from Angel City players, staff, fans, and community, as well
as soccer fans across the country. We are blessed to
share Savvy is recovering well and we are looking forward
to having her home with us soon.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
End quote.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
So many of us have been thinking about Savv since Friday.
You'll remember I was at that game and sat through
the awful ten minutes of her being treated on the
field before she was carted off and was hospitalized. We
were relieved to hear that she was alert and responsive
that night, but there were so many questions about what
happened about what might come next, so we've all been
waiting for an update and while we still don't know
(02:06):
how this is going to affect her career in soccer
or her future in general, seeing the words her prognosis
is excellent, I think can.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Let us all just breathe a little deeper.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
So we're sending you lots of love and lots of
fast healing, savvy and once again we are so grateful
for the medical staff who rushed to her aid at
that Angel City game. We got some more NWSL news.
Recently retired soccer legend Alex Morgan is getting into the
ownership game. The two time World Cup champ is the
latest minority investor in the San Diego Wave, the club
she played with for the final three seasons of her
(02:36):
career before retiring last fall ahead of the birth of
her second child. Morgan was one of the first players
signed by the Wave, which started playing twenty twenty two.
In a statement about joining the ownership group, she said, quote,
San Diego is where I've built my home, where I'm
raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career.
I believed in Wave FC before a single match was played,
(02:57):
and I still believe this club has the power to
change the future of women's sports.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
More soccer.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
The FIFA Council has unanimously approved plans to increase the
number of teams and the Women's World Cup from thirty
two to forty eight, in line with plans for the
Men's World Cup. The new tournament format will go into
effect for the twenty thirty one Women's World Cup, which
is expected to be held in the United States.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
No other nations submitted a bid for the tournament.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
With forty eight teams, round robin play will include twelve
groups of four teams. The two teams in each group,
along with the best eight of the twelve third place teams,
will advance to the round of thirty two knockout stage.
Because the total number of matches increases from sixty four
to one hundred and four, the tournament will be extended
by one week to accommodate the additional contests.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
More World Cup, I'm here for it, and a little
more soccer Today.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Brazilian legend Marta initially said she was retiring from national
team duty following last year's Paris Olympics, where her team
won silver, But on Tuesday, surprise.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
The thirty nine year old was named to Brazil's.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Roster for two upcoming friendlies against Japan happening May thirtieth
and June second. Brazil's coach Artur Alias told reporters that
he has spoken to Marta and that quote she said,
she is available to help the team while she is
playing at a high level as she is now end quote,
maybe feeling herself a little after her Orlando Pride won
the NWSL title last ball.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Can't blame her.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Smoke him if you got him, and of course I
mean defenders, because Marta still be smoking defenders Later this summer,
Brazila is going to attempt to defend their Copa America
title when the tournament heads to Ecuador.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Are we crossing our fingers? Marta will be on that
roster too? You bet you.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Some more ownership news, this time in the WNBA. Canadian
comedian and TV host Lilyes Singh is joining the ownership
group of the Toronto Tempo. But Sing's contribution isn't just
a financial one. She'll also serve as the team's chief
hype officer. Now what exactly are the responsibilities of a
chief hype officer, you ask? According to the club's release,
(04:55):
the role includes quote building and amplifying excitement for the
tempo on and off the court, including cultivating the fan community,
curating in game rituals, and celebrating the sport of women's
basketball end quote. Singh is also an owner of the
NWSL's Angel City team and per my friends with that side,
she's one of the most vocal hype owners of the bunch,
(05:15):
attending a ton of games, so it sounds like she's
well suited to that cho role. Also, we need to
talk about the fits from both sing and Serena Williams
in their tempo ownership announcements.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Y'all these suits, I can't.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
We'll link to the photos in our show notes so
you can ooh and ah over them just like I did.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
More WNBA.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
We mentioned a report from Sportico earlier this week that
the Connecticut Sun has hired an investment bank to explore
selling and relocating the franchise. Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti addressed
the report on Tuesday, saying that the team is exploring
all options, including a potential sale. In a statement to ESPN,
the team's current owner, the Mohegan Tribe, said quote. As
(05:57):
an organization, Mohegan is consistently aboutuating strategic options, investments, and
capital expenditures. The statement continues, Mohegan remains committed to the
team's continued success, which includes looking at all strategic options
in the best interests of the ct SUN, MTGA and
WNBA end quote. The thing about this it would be
a real bummer for Connecticutdvance if the team were to move,
(06:19):
But also if the Mohegan tribe can't or isn't interested
in keeping up with the modern WNBA when it comes
to facilities and resources.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
It just might be time for the team to move on.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Finally, a shout out to the athletes who are featured
as part of the twenty twenty five Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.
They include basketball players Cameron Brink and Hayley Vanlet, surfer
Caroline Marx, sprinter Gabby Thomas, rugby player Alona mar gymnasts
Jordan Chiles, Olivia Dunn and Sunny Lee golfer Nelly Corda,
Paralympic swimmer Ali Truett, heptathlete Anna Hall, race car driver
(06:53):
Tony Bridinger, and freestyle skier Eileen Goo. As Gabby Thomas
wrote on insta quote, strength is beauty.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Slices. I want to give a quick.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Shout out to the Gist and amazing women's sports website,
slash newsletters, slash pod that hopefully you already subscribe to
and frequent and this week I had the pleasure of
attending a Chicago Cubs game with all of the full
time staff of the Gist, so just co founders Ellen
and jac were hosting their on site here in Chicago
with twenty plus members of their team from all over
the US and Canada, and a Cubs Marlin's game was
(07:27):
part of the fun they scheduled, so they shot me
an invite and we got a gorgeous night, super sunny,
super warm, especially for this year here in Chicago, and
a dramatic Cubs walk off win, which was a blast.
And I think the best part was I really got
to enjoy watching a bunch of folks experience my city
and my team for the first time. A lot of
them were new to Chicago and a ton of them
(07:48):
had never been to a Cubs game. So they got
the certificates that were honoring their first visit to historic
Wrigley Field. They got the foot long beers in the
giant plastic baseball bats, they got the ice cream served
in the little Cubs helmet. They did it right. There's
just something kind of special. I think about showing off
a place that you love so much to people who
are super pumped to be there and are enjoying it too.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
So it was really fun.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Also a bonus, I got to hang with a few
gisters who are slices, including Canadian super slice Marca. So
shout out to the gist for the invite, open invite
to come back to Chicago anytime. All right, we got
to take a quick break when we come back. The
Dallas Wings entered their perique era.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
All right, y'all.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
The shoot around continues our team by team previews getting
you ready for the twenty twenty five WNBA season, and
let's start today with the Dallas Wings, who ended last
season in eleventh place with a nine and thirty one record,
the franchise's worst winning percentage since twenty eleven, and injury
Tosatusabli that kept her out for all but fifteen games
helped sink a Wings team that had been improving, posting
(08:54):
a winning record in twenty twenty three for the first
time since the team relocated to Dallas in twenty sixteen.
Speaking of that relocation, here's the Wings history you need
to know. The team originated as the Detroit Shock in
nineteen ninety eight, relocated and became the Tulsa Shock in
twenty ten, and then moved to Arlington, Texas, and rebranded
as the Dallas Wings ahead of the twenty sixteen season.
(09:17):
Past greats include Deanna Nolan, Katie Smith, Odyssey Simms, Liz Cambije,
and active player Skyler Diggins now with the Seattle Storm.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
The twenty twenty five tag.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Line for this team, Everything's Becker's in Texas, good one meche.
Let's talk offseason additions and losses for the Wings because
there's been a lot of turnover. Top line here, only
three players from last year squad are back in Arlington,
Rik Agombuwallee, Tierra McCown and Mattie Siegrist, so let's talk losses.
(09:47):
First three time WNBA Champ, two time All Star, and
former WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Natasha Howard left
in free agency to join the Indiana Fever, and the
Wings were also part of a four team trade with
the Connecticut Sun, Phoenix, Ma Mercury and Indiana Fever that
saw them part ways with two time All Stars Satusabili
and J. C. Sheldon, Koalanie Brown, and sevgi Uzen. The
(10:09):
trade brought the Wings Ty Harris and defensive stalwart de
Jene Carrington from the Connecticut Sun plus Melissa Smith from
the Indiana Fever. All good pickups, but the most notable
off season addition to this team is number one overall
draft pick Paige Beckers out of Yukon, one of five
total draft picks for the Wings that also included NC
(10:29):
State's Azaiah James at number twelve. The team also signed
Maisha heinz Allen in free agency. She was most recently
with the Lynks, but spent her first six seasons with
the Mystics. There were big changes to the coaching staff
and front office this offseason as well, with head coach
Letricia Trammel out in October, the franchise's third straight coach
to be replaced after just two seasons.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
So incomes Chris Cochlanis.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Who has more than a decade of experience as an
assistant coach in the WNBA and in D one college hoops.
Coklanis made a bit of a statement with the assistant
hired to help guide this Wing squad, including Nola Henry,
a thirty year old with a breadth of experience who
led Roseby C to the inaugural Unrivaled championship in the offseason.
Also his sister, Belle kochlanis who offers up two decades
(11:12):
worth of Division One coaching experience. The team also brought
in Kurt Miller, former head coach of the Sun and
the Sparks in twenty seventeen WNBA Coach and Executive of
the Year, to be the team's new GM. So who
are this team stars? Well, you gotta start with shooting
guard ari Ka Agunboalle, a four time All Star and
the twenty twenty league scoring champ who's entering her seventh
(11:33):
year in the league out of Notre Dame. To put
it simply, she might be the toughest guard in the
w to defend one on one, and she's only going
to get more dangerous this season with the help of
the team's other big star, Pagebeckers, a point guard fresh
off a national championship, with an unlimited professional ceiling and
major star quality. She's got the ability to sell a
(11:54):
whole lot of tickets, merch and hope to this Dallas
fan base. Dj A Carrington star is on the as well,
coming off at twenty twenty four season that saw her
earn Most Improved Player and All Defensive Team honors. She
started thirty nine of the Sun's forty regular season games
last year, after making just three.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Starts over her first three seasons.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Carrington is proof that second round draft picks could bind
a spot in this league and stick, giving hope to
some of our college faves. The stakes for this team
are in as high as the expectations. With a new coach,
new GM and so many new players, you imagine they're
going to need some time to click. But fans will
expect a lot from Paige Beckers, the kind of expectations
(12:34):
folks had for Caitlin Clark in her first year with
the Fever last season. Already this preseason, Beckers has shined,
looking in sync with new teammate Agunbuale, especially in the
wings victory over the Toyota Antelopes of Japan. So from
the lottery to the postseason thanks to an electric number
one draft pick. We saw it last year with the Fever,
and we could see it again with the Wings.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
As for stats, we got to.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Start on the defensive side of the ball where the
Wings finished in the league in defensive rating last season,
allowing one hundred nine point one points per one hundred
possessions per her Hoopstats. That's the second worst mark in
league history. And it wasn't just a one year problem.
The team hasn't finished higher than eighth in defensive ratings
since two thousand and eight, and they finished eleventh or
(13:17):
twelfth in the category in ten of the last fifteen seasons,
including four last place finishes. Wolf Coklanis's first job will
be to sort out the defense. On offense, Arik has
proven to be one of the best scorers in the league,
trailing only Asia Wilson last season, averaging twenty two point
two points per game. She's consistent two after Brianna Stewart.
(13:40):
She's just the second player in league history to average
at least eighteen points per game in each of her
first six WNBA seasons. Ogunbuale also led the league in steels,
averaging just over two per game, and had a career
high and assists with five point one per game. Let's
talk some Wings stories and lore now. This season is
just the start of one big story, the story of
(14:02):
Pari k The name affectionately granted to the duo of
Arik Agunbowale and Paige Beckers. In the preseason, Arik was
an outspoken fan of Beckers game while the rookie was
at Yukon, and by all accounts, they're meshing well down
in Arlington. Beckers is also known for her activity on TikTok,
so we'll see if we get some pary k bangers
on the social media platform. We already got one very
(14:23):
memorable meme of the duo, a shot of Arik cheesing
mid catch and layup as she received a bullet of
a pass from Beckers.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Feels like Arik could be.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Smiling a lot this season, getting fed by the rook
We'll put a link to that clip in the show
notes so you could watch. And of course, we got
some hoops of gay shit on this squad. We got
Djda Carrington and Melissa Smith who played on the same
Baylor squad for a year in college and are an
item and this year they're embarking on their first pro
season on the same team. They've given us a ton
(14:53):
of cute moments on and off the court, like last year,
with a video of Smith helping Carrington up off the
floor after a collision sent the Internet into a frenzy.
Or when Carrington posted one of her Game Day get
Ready with Me videos from Smith's apartment in Indiana before
their Fever and Sun squads went head to head, Or
when Smith gave us a behind the scenes look at
her surprise celebration of Carrington's Most Improved Player honors. She
(15:15):
decorated her place with confetti and balloons and roses and
mini trophies, and then took a video of herself trying
but failing to set off a confetti cannon when Carrington
walked through the door. It was real cute. Carrington picked
up the misfired Confettian threw it in the air to
make up for the blunder. Some real rom com shit.
They're absolutely adorable, So this season is shaping up to
be full of some cute hoops and gay shit moments.
(15:38):
Fun fact about this franchise, The Wings, back when they
were the Detroit Shock, became the first team in w
history to go from last place one season to WNBA
champions the next, back in two thousand and three. After
an awful two thousand and two season that sparked rumors
that the team might fold.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Head coach Bill Lambier.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Yes, that Bill Lambier of MNBA Detroit Pistons fame, convinced
the old nurse he could turn things around, and he
did to the tune of a title. So after a
second to last place finished last season, maybe the team
is looking for some more of that same magic this year.
All right, Meish, I think that's it for the Wings.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Anything you want to add.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Yeah, I've got a nickname for this squad, Sarah.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
You want to hear it. I know you want to
hear it.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
The Young Guns because Maisha Heinz Allen is the vet
of this bunch, and she's only got seven years of
WNBA experience. Everybody else compared to the rest of the
league relatively inexperienced. But I think if this squad can
nail down a pace, a very high pace, get a
lot of shots up led by Arika and Page, terrorized
(16:43):
teams on defense behind Dja Carrington, She's got that energy
and intensity that we love so much, Unlock the bag
that her girlfriend Melissa Smith has that we've seen in
flashes but not necessarily consistently in her WNBA career this far,
and get more improvement from Metty Secrets, who I think
she's one of those players we don't talk enough about
because she has just improved steadily every season in the
(17:05):
league as well. I think they have the potential to
be a thorn in a lot of team sides. Does
that mean they're going to be top of the league. No,
but I do think when it comes down to playoff
race time, they could be the squad that pisses.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Some teams and some fan bases off.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
And I also think that another player, Tierra McCowan, she
could be a huge X factor for them. She hasn't
had I don't think her best WNBA season yet. She's
averaging a little over eleven points a little over eight
rebounds for her career right now. But I think she's
got more in the tank. And you add her to
Paige Beckers, who can get her the ball wherever she
wants it and when the defense collapses, hit that three
(17:43):
ball from long range. It's a huge plus for Chris
Coklanis in his squad.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
I love your enthusiasm, Niche, I really do. I agree
with you on a lot of that.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Maddy Secrets is an interesting one because when Tsatusabli was
out last year, and she got a lot more minutes.
She averaged over sixteen points and four rebounds. Again, so
when she gets enough minutes to start to get hot,
she looks good. So I'd like to see them give
her a little bit more time out there to try
to develop. I agree with you offensively, I think this
team is gonna be a real bitch. But I love
(18:13):
that you just added Carrington and suddenly all their defensive
woes are fixed. Meanwhile, Melissa Smith is not gonna help
them on that side. Defense has always been an issue
for her. Her hoopstats thirty fifth percentile or worse in
defensive wind shares for forty minutes in all three of
her seasons. So maybe a new place will offer her
(18:35):
a fresh chance at committing to the defensive side. But again,
I love your optimism, and I do think this Wings
team is going to make a huge leap this season.
I'll still be watching how things go defensively.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
I will say you right, But she's playing with her
girlfriend now, Oh she's showing up. Yeah, she knows she
got to step it up on the defensive end. Or
you know, Hey, I can't talk.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And when your girlfriend, I don't know, Misha, have you
ever had a girlfriend that made you try harder on defense?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Uh, not on the team. Not on the team. I
can't say that I've had that experience.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Chickstick the offense, I'm not sure. But to be fair,
if anyone's going to appreciate a good defensive effort, it's
Dja Kring exact.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
So I'll give you that one. I'll give you that one.
All right, we got to take a break.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
When we come back, we shine our spotlight on Hollywood's team,
the La Sparks. All right, slices, Let's head to La
La Land, where the Los Angeles Sparks finished last season
eight and twenty six, dead last in the standings in
their second year under head coach Kurt Miller, missing the
(19:41):
postseason for the fourth straight year and sending Miller packing.
Here's the La Sparks history you need to know. The
Sparks are one of the league's original eight franchises. Founded
in nineteen ninety seven, They shared an owner with the
mnba's La Lakers until two thousand and six. Since twenty fourteen,
the team has been owned by Sparks LA Sports, a
group led by businessman Mark Walter, also the primary owner
(20:05):
of the PWHL and the MLB's LA Dodgers. That group
also includes Laker great Magic Johnson. The Sparks have qualified
for the WNBA playoffs in twenty of their twenty eight
years in Los Angeles. Note four of those eight seasons
where they missed out are the last four seasons. The
Sparks have won three titles in two thousand and one,
two thousand and two, and twenty sixteen, losing in the
(20:26):
finals twice two thousand and three and twenty fifteen. Some
of the stars who helped the Sparks to greatness include
Candice Parker, Lisa Leslie, Pennytoler, Tina Thompson, Tisha Peicero, Christy Tolliver,
and Neka Ugumkay, who's still active and playing with the.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Storm twenty twenty five tag line.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
For this team, they might be in Sunny LA, but
they're not quite ready to shine. Let's talk auditions and losses,
starting at the top, with new head coach Lynn Roberts
replacing Kurt Miller after a disappointing two seasons. Roberts springs
twenty seven years of college coaching experience, most recently at Utah,
with three hundred and eighty six wins to her name,
she'll take over a Sparks team that welcomes new edition.
(21:05):
Kelsey Plum, a two time WNBA Champ, three time All Star,
former sixth Woman of the Year, and Olympic gold medalist.
Plumb was acquired from the Las Vegas Aces in a
three team trade with the Aces and the Storm. The
Sparks traded the number two pick in this draft to
get Plumb for one year. So if she bolts in
free agency next season and the Storm's selection with that pick,
French phenom Dominique Malonga has a long, successful career, this
(21:28):
could go down in bad trade history. As for the
Sparks draft picks, they selected Alabama's Sarah Ashley Barker with
the ninth overall pick. You may remember her forty five
point performance in the Tides double overtime loss to Maryland
in the NCAA Tournament.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
This year.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
The Sparks also grab South Carolina Senaa Fagan, a two
time NCAA champ, with the Game Cocks selecting her with
the twenty first pick. As for losses, the Sparks said
goodbye to a friend at the show, Lesia Clarendon, who
retired and can now be seen doing studio work for
the Valkyries, Stephanie Talbot, who's also heading to the after
she was selected by the Balks and the expansion draft,
(22:03):
Kia Nurse, who left for the Chicago Sky in free agency,
and former South Carolina standout Zia Cook, who the team waived.
She's since been picked up by the Storm. So who
are the stars of this team? Well, the newly acquired Plum,
host of an off season camp for top collegiate guards
called the Dog Class, will appropriately be the alpha dog
on this team. She's reunited with former Aces teammate Deerica Hamby,
(22:26):
a WNBA champ, three time All Star and two times
sixth Woman of the Year. Hamby led the Sparks in
scoring and rebounding last year, earning her third.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
All Star nod in four seasons.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Then there's the team's number two draft pick last year,
Cameron Brink, who played just fifteen games before suffering a
season ending ACL injury. A talent on the floor and
a favorite offit with a podcast and sponsorship deals galore,
brinks return to the court will be a huge boost
for this squad.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
She's expected back mid June.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Also, we can't forget fellow class of twenty twenty four
draft d Rakia Jackson, who made the All Rookie team
last year and added to some sparks team lore with
an epic hard launch of her relationship with former Tennessee
football player James Pierce Junior, when she popped up during
the NFL draft coverage sitting next to him on the couch,
hand on his knee as he was drafted by the Falcons.
(23:15):
The stakes for this team, eh, The stakes are really
just to show improvement. No one should expect them to
rock it to the top of the standings, but they
do need to start building toward the future. Last season,
the team put up its fewest wins and most losses
in franchise history, so convincing Plumb to re sign, developing
Brink and Jackson, and establishing an identity will be key
to making LA a destination for free agents next season.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Let's talk some stats.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Despite finishing in the bottom three in the standings for
the last four seasons, the team hasn't been bad defensively,
boasting a top five defensive rating twice during that four
year stretch of futility. Offensively, they've struggled. Per her hoopstats,
The Sparks finished tenth or eleventh in points per play,
points per scoring attempt, and effective field goal percentage each
(24:00):
of the last four seasons, and they were ninth or
worse in three point percentage in each season as well. Now,
as far as individual stats, something to keep an eye on.
Also from her hoopstats in a very small sample size, admittedly,
but in a very small sample size of just fifteen
games last season, Cameron brinks four point two blocks per
forty minutes were the most by a WNBA player since
(24:22):
the twenty seventeen season. Now, of course, the question is
can she keep up that pace for.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
A full season.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
The stories and lore for the Sparks include a tumultuous
time from twenty nineteen to twenty twenty two under head
coach and GM Derek Fisher, who had been a star
player with the mnba's Lakers, helping them to five titles.
Fisher's very first season with the Sparks in twenty nineteen
ended in a playoff meltdown as the team got swept
by the Sun in the semi finals, and Fisher not
(24:49):
only benched star Candae Parker for all but eleven minutes
in the last game, but He also sat his big
three Parker neck Ogumukay and Chelsea Gray for the entire
fourth quarter as their season came to an end. Folks
in LA are still complaining about the Derek Fisher era.
Fun fact, in two thousand and two, the Great Lisa
Leslie became the first player in the league to dunk
(25:11):
in a game, And in two thousand and eight, rookie
superstar Kandas Parker won both Rookie of the Year honors
and MVP honors in her first season, the first and
only time that's happened in league history. All Right, Mesh,
I think that's most of it for the Sparks. What
do you want to add?
Speaker 2 (25:27):
First?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
I want to add that folks in LA aren't the
only ones still complaining about the Fisher era in LA
as somebody who grew.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Up watching Kandas Parker. Please don't get me started.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
But as far as this year squad, Kelsey Plumb, of
course you mentioned she's the top dog. She's the alpha
on this roster. She made the move to LA from
Vegas in this offseason because she wanted to take on
a bigger role, not just on the court.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Right, She's always been a scorer even before.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
The pros held that NCAA D one scoring record until
Kayln Clark broke it in twenty twenty four. But in
terms of her leadership, right, she's learned, She's gleaned so
much I think from working with Becky Hammond, with Chelsea Gray,
with Asia Wilson. I'm very excited to see how that
translates and how she's able to help alongside Deerica Hanby
(26:15):
and alongside Odyssey Simms, both who have more than ten
years in the WNBA, how the three of them can
help Rikia and Cam and Ray Burrell, which is somebody
I don't think a lot of people talk about, somebody
I think has the potential to be a great role
player on an excellent team, whether that's at LA or
somewhere else. So I'm very excited for her just to
(26:36):
see her blossom, especially after last year dealing with you know,
having the divorce and people talking about that, and there's
all the stuff that has come her way since she
entered the league.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
You just made me think of some other lord that
I need to point out because you mentioned Kelsey Plumb
and her leadership and one of the things she does,
as I mentioned is that dog class where she wants
to help these collegiate players make in the transition, learn
how to thrive in the pro game. And do you
remember that she blocked the WNBA on social media because
she felt like she was getting preferential treatment in her
(27:06):
first season in the league because she was straight and white.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
She didn't think she was playing.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
She was like, I wasn't even playing well. I was
just bad and they were still treating me and hyping me. Now,
presumably part of that's because she came out of college
with that scoring record, so she had a big name
and people were excited to see her. But she literally
blocked the league and said, I was pissed. It's absolutely
a problem in our league. Just straight up I was
getting preferential treatment because I was straight and white, and
I just like what a leader.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
In that sense.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Yes, to be in that moment thinking like, partly, I'm
embarrassed that you're hyping me.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
I suck right now.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
I need to get better, but also understanding where it
was coming from and wanting to help correct it.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
So definitely forgot to put that in the Kelsey plumb more.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
But the humility there, right that is something having a
mind and a heart towards the work period and leaving
the distractor decide and recognizing when.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
You know you're getting a little more hype than you should.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
That's I mean, it's an excellent lesson for her to
pass on to the rest of these youngsters. But speaking
of the youngsters, Rakiah Jackson, who I've been high on,
I remain high on, showed us some flashes of excellence
of brilliance in twenty twenty four and in the unrivaled
season in the offseason scores from all three levels. On offense,
held her own against opponents some of the best guards
(28:19):
in the WNBA. On defense, to just a little stat
here among rookies, she was fifth in rebounds and steals
and tally the six most block shots at six to two.
So that's just a lot of versatility for her and
of course her teammate Cambrink. I am just so excited
for this young lady to have a season of healthy basketball.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Y'all.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
She's going to be electrifying. She was electrifying in those
fifteen games last season. Last but not at least I
mentioned Ray Burrell. Don't forget about her, and don't forget
about Azray Stevens. I'm keeping my up close eyes on
both of them. They're giving me really good vibes.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Azray Stevens was great with my Chicago Sky, helping them
to their one and only title. And you may remember,
if you're a die Slice that I had to apologize
to her after watching Unrivaled.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
I thought she was a little stiffer.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
And then not only did she hoop in all the games,
but in the one v one tournament she showed me
something I didn't know she had.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
So I would like to see more Azay Stevens in space.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Now that I have been proven wrong, I would like
to see more of that, please, So shout out to
Azaree Stevens. All Right, we love that you're listening Slices,
but we want you to get in the game every
day too.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
So here's our good game play of the day.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Give us your biggest, boldest, craziest WNBA prediction of the season.
We want your hottest take, your spiciest stance, and all
of your stat driven assertions. So send them to us
good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave us a
voicemail at eight seven two two oh four fifty seventy
we always love to hear your voice. And also if
(29:46):
it's a super spicy stance, a super hot take, we
want to have the clip of you saying it so
we can play it later when you're right. Of course,
when you're when you're right, obviously, is when we want
to play it. Also, don't forget to subscribe, rate and review.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
It's easy, y'all.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Watch Sabrinian Escu's return to Oregon, rating twenty five out
of twenty five points back on campus in Eugene Review.
On Monday, the New York Liberty played their final preseason game,
and they played it at Matthew Knight Arena on the
Oregon campus, letting former Ducks Sabrini and Escu and Niara
Sabli soak up all the love at their alma mater,
(30:21):
and Sabrina put on a show with twenty five points
and six threes, including one from way downtown. Now, if
you remember, Sabrina was a senior in twenty twenty when
the pandemic ended the season prematurely, so she really relished
the chance to get back in front of her adoring
fans and accept the Eugene Mayor's proclamation of May twelfth,
as quote Sabrina Yonescu Day. Also, guys, there was a
(30:45):
dance off between the Oregon Duck and Ellie the Elephant,
complete with a duck twerk. That's the stuff dreams are
made of, folks, well my dreams at least.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Now it's your turn. Rate and review. Give us five stars,
tell us you love us. Thanks, Danielle.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
See you tomorrow when I'll be in San Francisco to
close out the shoot around with the thirteenth and final team,
the Golden State Valkyries, ahead of their very first WNBA
regular season game. Good Game, Dallas, Good Game, Los Angeles.
You retiring, MARTA's got this right, Just play forever. Good
(31:21):
Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production
in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You could
find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, our
producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and
(31:44):
Gianna Palmer, Our associate producer is Lucy Jones, and I'm
Your Host Sarah Spain.
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we think
our college commencements would have been a whole lot more
fun with Simone Biles as the speaker, shout out to
Washington University in Saint Louis for securing the gold with
that choice. We'll link to Simone's speech in our show notes.
It's Thursday, May fifteenth, and on today's show, it's the
penultimate day of the shoot around our Team by Team
WNBA previews.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Today we're heading to Dallas and Los.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
Angeles to spend a little time with two teams that
have nowhere to go but up after they finished the
twenty twenty fourth season at the bottom of the standings.
We'll get you set for Friday's WNBA season openers with
all the stars, stakes, stats and stories, a little history,
a little lower, a little gossip, and a little more,
plus retirement, retirement, a quack and comeback, and a piece
(00:44):
of the pie that comes with a dollop of hype.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
It's all coming up right after this.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Welcome back slices. Here's what you need to know today.
Let's start with the endsl where we've got an update
on Angel City defender Savvy King, who collapsed due to
a medical event during last Friday's game against the Utah Royals.
Angel City announced on Tuesday that doctors, when evaluating King,
discovered a heart abnormality and that the twenty year old
(01:14):
has undergone successful surgery. In a statement, the club said quote,
she is now resting and recovering, surrounded by her family,
and her prognosis is excellent.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Quote.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
King's family also released a statement which reads, in part
quote on behalf of our entire family along with Savv.
We have been so moved by the love and support
from Angel City players, staff, fans, and community, as well
as soccer fans across the country. We are blessed to
share Savvy is recovering well and we are looking forward
to having her home with us soon.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
End quote.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
So many of us have been thinking about Savv since Friday.
You'll remember I was at that game and sat through
the awful ten minutes of her being treated on the
field before she was carted off and was hospitalized. We
were relieved to hear that she was alert and responsive
that night, but there were so many questions about what
happened about what might come next, so we've all been
waiting for an update and while we still don't know
(02:06):
how this is going to affect her career in soccer
or her future in general, seeing the words her prognosis
is excellent, I think can.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Let us all just breathe a little deeper.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
So we're sending you lots of love and lots of
fast healing, savvy and once again we are so grateful
for the medical staff who rushed to her aid at
that Angel City game. We got some more NWSL news.
Recently retired soccer legend Alex Morgan is getting into the
ownership game. The two time World Cup champ is the
latest minority investor in the San Diego Wave, the club
she played with for the final three seasons of her
(02:36):
career before retiring last fall ahead of the birth of
her second child. Morgan was one of the first players
signed by the Wave, which started playing twenty twenty two.
In a statement about joining the ownership group, she said, quote,
San Diego is where I've built my home, where I'm
raising my children, and found a purpose beyond my playing career.
I believed in Wave FC before a single match was played,
(02:57):
and I still believe this club has the power to
change the future of women's sports.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
More soccer.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
The FIFA Council has unanimously approved plans to increase the
number of teams and the Women's World Cup from thirty
two to forty eight, in line with plans for the
Men's World Cup. The new tournament format will go into
effect for the twenty thirty one Women's World Cup, which
is expected to be held in the United States.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
No other nations submitted a bid for the tournament.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
With forty eight teams, round robin play will include twelve
groups of four teams. The two teams in each group,
along with the best eight of the twelve third place teams,
will advance to the round of thirty two knockout stage.
Because the total number of matches increases from sixty four
to one hundred and four, the tournament will be extended
by one week to accommodate the additional contests.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
More World Cup, I'm here for it, and a little
more soccer Today.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
Brazilian legend Marta initially said she was retiring from national
team duty following last year's Paris Olympics, where her team
won silver, But on Tuesday, surprise.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
The thirty nine year old was named to Brazil's.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Roster for two upcoming friendlies against Japan happening May thirtieth
and June second. Brazil's coach Artur Alias told reporters that
he has spoken to Marta and that quote she said,
she is available to help the team while she is
playing at a high level as she is now end quote,
maybe feeling herself a little after her Orlando Pride won
the NWSL title last ball.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Can't blame her.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Smoke him if you got him, and of course I
mean defenders, because Marta still be smoking defenders Later this summer,
Brazila is going to attempt to defend their Copa America
title when the tournament heads to Ecuador.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Are we crossing our fingers? Marta will be on that
roster too? You bet you.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Some more ownership news, this time in the WNBA. Canadian
comedian and TV host Lilyes Singh is joining the ownership
group of the Toronto Tempo. But Sing's contribution isn't just
a financial one. She'll also serve as the team's chief
hype officer. Now what exactly are the responsibilities of a
chief hype officer, you ask? According to the club's release,
(04:55):
the role includes quote building and amplifying excitement for the
tempo on and off the court, including cultivating the fan community,
curating in game rituals, and celebrating the sport of women's
basketball end quote. Singh is also an owner of the
NWSL's Angel City team and per my friends with that side,
she's one of the most vocal hype owners of the bunch,
(05:15):
attending a ton of games, so it sounds like she's
well suited to that cho role. Also, we need to
talk about the fits from both sing and Serena Williams
in their tempo ownership announcements.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Y'all these suits, I can't.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
We'll link to the photos in our show notes so
you can ooh and ah over them just like I did.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
More WNBA.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
We mentioned a report from Sportico earlier this week that
the Connecticut Sun has hired an investment bank to explore
selling and relocating the franchise. Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti addressed
the report on Tuesday, saying that the team is exploring
all options, including a potential sale. In a statement to ESPN,
the team's current owner, the Mohegan Tribe, said quote. As
(05:57):
an organization, Mohegan is consistently aboutuating strategic options, investments, and
capital expenditures. The statement continues, Mohegan remains committed to the
team's continued success, which includes looking at all strategic options
in the best interests of the ct SUN, MTGA and
WNBA end quote. The thing about this it would be
a real bummer for Connecticutdvance if the team were to move,
(06:19):
But also if the Mohegan tribe can't or isn't interested
in keeping up with the modern WNBA when it comes
to facilities and resources.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
It just might be time for the team to move on.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Finally, a shout out to the athletes who are featured
as part of the twenty twenty five Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.
They include basketball players Cameron Brink and Hayley Vanlet, surfer
Caroline Marx, sprinter Gabby Thomas, rugby player Alona mar gymnasts
Jordan Chiles, Olivia Dunn and Sunny Lee golfer Nelly Corda,
Paralympic swimmer Ali Truett, heptathlete Anna Hall, race car driver
(06:53):
Tony Bridinger, and freestyle skier Eileen Goo. As Gabby Thomas
wrote on insta quote, strength is beauty.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Slices. I want to give a quick.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Shout out to the Gist and amazing women's sports website,
slash newsletters, slash pod that hopefully you already subscribe to
and frequent and this week I had the pleasure of
attending a Chicago Cubs game with all of the full
time staff of the Gist, so just co founders Ellen
and jac were hosting their on site here in Chicago
with twenty plus members of their team from all over
the US and Canada, and a Cubs Marlin's game was
(07:27):
part of the fun they scheduled, so they shot me
an invite and we got a gorgeous night, super sunny,
super warm, especially for this year here in Chicago, and
a dramatic Cubs walk off win, which was a blast.
And I think the best part was I really got
to enjoy watching a bunch of folks experience my city
and my team for the first time. A lot of
them were new to Chicago and a ton of them
(07:48):
had never been to a Cubs game. So they got
the certificates that were honoring their first visit to historic
Wrigley Field. They got the foot long beers in the
giant plastic baseball bats, they got the ice cream served
in the little Cubs helmet. They did it right. There's
just something kind of special. I think about showing off
a place that you love so much to people who
are super pumped to be there and are enjoying it too.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
So it was really fun.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Also a bonus, I got to hang with a few
gisters who are slices, including Canadian super slice Marca. So
shout out to the gist for the invite, open invite
to come back to Chicago anytime. All right, we got
to take a quick break when we come back. The
Dallas Wings entered their perique era.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
All right, y'all.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
The shoot around continues our team by team previews getting
you ready for the twenty twenty five WNBA season, and
let's start today with the Dallas Wings, who ended last
season in eleventh place with a nine and thirty one record,
the franchise's worst winning percentage since twenty eleven, and injury
Tosatusabli that kept her out for all but fifteen games
helped sink a Wings team that had been improving, posting
(08:54):
a winning record in twenty twenty three for the first
time since the team relocated to Dallas in twenty sixteen.
Speaking of that relocation, here's the Wings history you need
to know. The team originated as the Detroit Shock in
nineteen ninety eight, relocated and became the Tulsa Shock in
twenty ten, and then moved to Arlington, Texas, and rebranded
as the Dallas Wings ahead of the twenty sixteen season.
(09:17):
Past greats include Deanna Nolan, Katie Smith, Odyssey Simms, Liz Cambije,
and active player Skyler Diggins now with the Seattle Storm.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
The twenty twenty five tag.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Line for this team, Everything's Becker's in Texas, good one meche.
Let's talk offseason additions and losses for the Wings because
there's been a lot of turnover. Top line here, only
three players from last year squad are back in Arlington,
Rik Agombuwallee, Tierra McCown and Mattie Siegrist, so let's talk losses.
(09:47):
First three time WNBA Champ, two time All Star, and
former WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Natasha Howard left
in free agency to join the Indiana Fever, and the
Wings were also part of a four team trade with
the Connecticut Sun, Phoenix, Ma Mercury and Indiana Fever that
saw them part ways with two time All Stars Satusabili
and J. C. Sheldon, Koalanie Brown, and sevgi Uzen. The
(10:09):
trade brought the Wings Ty Harris and defensive stalwart de
Jene Carrington from the Connecticut Sun plus Melissa Smith from
the Indiana Fever. All good pickups, but the most notable
off season addition to this team is number one overall
draft pick Paige Beckers out of Yukon, one of five
total draft picks for the Wings that also included NC
(10:29):
State's Azaiah James at number twelve. The team also signed
Maisha heinz Allen in free agency. She was most recently
with the Lynks, but spent her first six seasons with
the Mystics. There were big changes to the coaching staff
and front office this offseason as well, with head coach
Letricia Trammel out in October, the franchise's third straight coach
to be replaced after just two seasons.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
So incomes Chris Cochlanis.
Speaker 1 (10:52):
Who has more than a decade of experience as an
assistant coach in the WNBA and in D one college hoops.
Coklanis made a bit of a statement with the assistant
hired to help guide this Wing squad, including Nola Henry,
a thirty year old with a breadth of experience who
led Roseby C to the inaugural Unrivaled championship in the offseason.
Also his sister, Belle kochlanis who offers up two decades
(11:12):
worth of Division One coaching experience. The team also brought
in Kurt Miller, former head coach of the Sun and
the Sparks in twenty seventeen WNBA Coach and Executive of
the Year, to be the team's new GM. So who
are this team stars? Well, you gotta start with shooting
guard ari Ka Agunboalle, a four time All Star and
the twenty twenty league scoring champ who's entering her seventh
(11:33):
year in the league out of Notre Dame. To put
it simply, she might be the toughest guard in the
w to defend one on one, and she's only going
to get more dangerous this season with the help of
the team's other big star, Pagebeckers, a point guard fresh
off a national championship, with an unlimited professional ceiling and
major star quality. She's got the ability to sell a
(11:54):
whole lot of tickets, merch and hope to this Dallas
fan base. Dj A Carrington star is on the as well,
coming off at twenty twenty four season that saw her
earn Most Improved Player and All Defensive Team honors. She
started thirty nine of the Sun's forty regular season games
last year, after making just three.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Starts over her first three seasons.
Speaker 1 (12:13):
Carrington is proof that second round draft picks could bind
a spot in this league and stick, giving hope to
some of our college faves. The stakes for this team
are in as high as the expectations. With a new coach,
new GM and so many new players, you imagine they're
going to need some time to click. But fans will
expect a lot from Paige Beckers, the kind of expectations
(12:34):
folks had for Caitlin Clark in her first year with
the Fever last season. Already this preseason, Beckers has shined,
looking in sync with new teammate Agunbuale, especially in the
wings victory over the Toyota Antelopes of Japan. So from
the lottery to the postseason thanks to an electric number
one draft pick. We saw it last year with the Fever,
and we could see it again with the Wings.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
As for stats, we got to.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Start on the defensive side of the ball where the
Wings finished in the league in defensive rating last season,
allowing one hundred nine point one points per one hundred
possessions per her Hoopstats. That's the second worst mark in
league history. And it wasn't just a one year problem.
The team hasn't finished higher than eighth in defensive ratings
since two thousand and eight, and they finished eleventh or
(13:17):
twelfth in the category in ten of the last fifteen seasons,
including four last place finishes. Wolf Coklanis's first job will
be to sort out the defense. On offense, Arik has
proven to be one of the best scorers in the league,
trailing only Asia Wilson last season, averaging twenty two point
two points per game. She's consistent two after Brianna Stewart.
(13:40):
She's just the second player in league history to average
at least eighteen points per game in each of her
first six WNBA seasons. Ogunbuale also led the league in steels,
averaging just over two per game, and had a career
high and assists with five point one per game. Let's
talk some Wings stories and lore now. This season is
just the start of one big story, the story of
(14:02):
Pari k The name affectionately granted to the duo of
Arik Agunbowale and Paige Beckers. In the preseason, Arik was
an outspoken fan of Beckers game while the rookie was
at Yukon, and by all accounts, they're meshing well down
in Arlington. Beckers is also known for her activity on TikTok,
so we'll see if we get some pary k bangers
on the social media platform. We already got one very
(14:23):
memorable meme of the duo, a shot of Arik cheesing
mid catch and layup as she received a bullet of
a pass from Beckers.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Feels like Arik could be.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Smiling a lot this season, getting fed by the rook
We'll put a link to that clip in the show
notes so you could watch. And of course, we got
some hoops of gay shit on this squad. We got
Djda Carrington and Melissa Smith who played on the same
Baylor squad for a year in college and are an
item and this year they're embarking on their first pro
season on the same team. They've given us a ton
(14:53):
of cute moments on and off the court, like last year,
with a video of Smith helping Carrington up off the
floor after a collision sent the Internet into a frenzy.
Or when Carrington posted one of her Game Day get
Ready with Me videos from Smith's apartment in Indiana before
their Fever and Sun squads went head to head, Or
when Smith gave us a behind the scenes look at
her surprise celebration of Carrington's Most Improved Player honors. She
(15:15):
decorated her place with confetti and balloons and roses and
mini trophies, and then took a video of herself trying
but failing to set off a confetti cannon when Carrington
walked through the door. It was real cute. Carrington picked
up the misfired Confettian threw it in the air to
make up for the blunder. Some real rom com shit.
They're absolutely adorable, So this season is shaping up to
be full of some cute hoops and gay shit moments.
(15:38):
Fun fact about this franchise, The Wings, back when they
were the Detroit Shock, became the first team in w
history to go from last place one season to WNBA
champions the next, back in two thousand and three. After
an awful two thousand and two season that sparked rumors
that the team might fold.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Head coach Bill Lambier.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Yes, that Bill Lambier of MNBA Detroit Pistons fame, convinced
the old nurse he could turn things around, and he
did to the tune of a title. So after a
second to last place finished last season, maybe the team
is looking for some more of that same magic this year.
All right, Meish, I think that's it for the Wings.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
Anything you want to add.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Yeah, I've got a nickname for this squad, Sarah.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
You want to hear it. I know you want to
hear it.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
The Young Guns because Maisha Heinz Allen is the vet
of this bunch, and she's only got seven years of
WNBA experience. Everybody else compared to the rest of the
league relatively inexperienced. But I think if this squad can
nail down a pace, a very high pace, get a
lot of shots up led by Arika and Page, terrorized
(16:43):
teams on defense behind Dja Carrington, She's got that energy
and intensity that we love so much, Unlock the bag
that her girlfriend Melissa Smith has that we've seen in
flashes but not necessarily consistently in her WNBA career this far,
and get more improvement from Metty Secrets, who I think
she's one of those players we don't talk enough about
because she has just improved steadily every season in the
(17:05):
league as well. I think they have the potential to
be a thorn in a lot of team sides. Does
that mean they're going to be top of the league. No,
but I do think when it comes down to playoff
race time, they could be the squad that pisses.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Some teams and some fan bases off.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
And I also think that another player, Tierra McCowan, she
could be a huge X factor for them. She hasn't
had I don't think her best WNBA season yet. She's
averaging a little over eleven points a little over eight
rebounds for her career right now. But I think she's
got more in the tank. And you add her to
Paige Beckers, who can get her the ball wherever she
wants it and when the defense collapses, hit that three
(17:43):
ball from long range. It's a huge plus for Chris
Coklanis in his squad.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
I love your enthusiasm, Niche, I really do. I agree
with you on a lot of that.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Maddy Secrets is an interesting one because when Tsatusabli was
out last year, and she got a lot more minutes.
She averaged over sixteen points and four rebounds. Again, so
when she gets enough minutes to start to get hot,
she looks good. So I'd like to see them give
her a little bit more time out there to try
to develop. I agree with you offensively, I think this
team is gonna be a real bitch. But I love
(18:13):
that you just added Carrington and suddenly all their defensive
woes are fixed. Meanwhile, Melissa Smith is not gonna help
them on that side. Defense has always been an issue
for her. Her hoopstats thirty fifth percentile or worse in
defensive wind shares for forty minutes in all three of
her seasons. So maybe a new place will offer her
(18:35):
a fresh chance at committing to the defensive side. But again,
I love your optimism, and I do think this Wings
team is going to make a huge leap this season.
I'll still be watching how things go defensively.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
I will say you right, But she's playing with her
girlfriend now, Oh she's showing up. Yeah, she knows she
got to step it up on the defensive end. Or
you know, Hey, I can't talk.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And when your girlfriend, I don't know, Misha, have you
ever had a girlfriend that made you try harder on defense?
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Uh, not on the team. Not on the team. I
can't say that I've had that experience.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Chickstick the offense, I'm not sure. But to be fair,
if anyone's going to appreciate a good defensive effort, it's
Dja Kring exact.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
So I'll give you that one. I'll give you that one.
All right, we got to take a break.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
When we come back, we shine our spotlight on Hollywood's team,
the La Sparks. All right, slices, Let's head to La
La Land, where the Los Angeles Sparks finished last season
eight and twenty six, dead last in the standings in
their second year under head coach Kurt Miller, missing the
(19:41):
postseason for the fourth straight year and sending Miller packing.
Here's the La Sparks history you need to know. The
Sparks are one of the league's original eight franchises. Founded
in nineteen ninety seven, They shared an owner with the
mnba's La Lakers until two thousand and six. Since twenty fourteen,
the team has been owned by Sparks LA Sports, a
group led by businessman Mark Walter, also the primary owner
(20:05):
of the PWHL and the MLB's LA Dodgers. That group
also includes Laker great Magic Johnson. The Sparks have qualified
for the WNBA playoffs in twenty of their twenty eight
years in Los Angeles. Note four of those eight seasons
where they missed out are the last four seasons. The
Sparks have won three titles in two thousand and one,
two thousand and two, and twenty sixteen, losing in the
(20:26):
finals twice two thousand and three and twenty fifteen. Some
of the stars who helped the Sparks to greatness include
Candice Parker, Lisa Leslie, Pennytoler, Tina Thompson, Tisha Peicero, Christy Tolliver,
and Neka Ugumkay, who's still active and playing with the.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
Storm twenty twenty five tag line.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
For this team, they might be in Sunny LA, but
they're not quite ready to shine. Let's talk auditions and losses,
starting at the top, with new head coach Lynn Roberts
replacing Kurt Miller after a disappointing two seasons. Roberts springs
twenty seven years of college coaching experience, most recently at Utah,
with three hundred and eighty six wins to her name,
she'll take over a Sparks team that welcomes new edition.
(21:05):
Kelsey Plum, a two time WNBA Champ, three time All Star,
former sixth Woman of the Year, and Olympic gold medalist.
Plumb was acquired from the Las Vegas Aces in a
three team trade with the Aces and the Storm. The
Sparks traded the number two pick in this draft to
get Plumb for one year. So if she bolts in
free agency next season and the Storm's selection with that pick,
French phenom Dominique Malonga has a long, successful career, this
(21:28):
could go down in bad trade history. As for the
Sparks draft picks, they selected Alabama's Sarah Ashley Barker with
the ninth overall pick. You may remember her forty five
point performance in the Tides double overtime loss to Maryland
in the NCAA Tournament.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
This year.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
The Sparks also grab South Carolina Senaa Fagan, a two
time NCAA champ, with the Game Cocks selecting her with
the twenty first pick. As for losses, the Sparks said
goodbye to a friend at the show, Lesia Clarendon, who
retired and can now be seen doing studio work for
the Valkyries, Stephanie Talbot, who's also heading to the after
she was selected by the Balks and the expansion draft,
(22:03):
Kia Nurse, who left for the Chicago Sky in free agency,
and former South Carolina standout Zia Cook, who the team waived.
She's since been picked up by the Storm. So who
are the stars of this team? Well, the newly acquired Plum,
host of an off season camp for top collegiate guards
called the Dog Class, will appropriately be the alpha dog
on this team. She's reunited with former Aces teammate Deerica Hamby,
(22:26):
a WNBA champ, three time All Star and two times
sixth Woman of the Year. Hamby led the Sparks in
scoring and rebounding last year, earning her third.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
All Star nod in four seasons.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Then there's the team's number two draft pick last year,
Cameron Brink, who played just fifteen games before suffering a
season ending ACL injury. A talent on the floor and
a favorite offit with a podcast and sponsorship deals galore,
brinks return to the court will be a huge boost
for this squad.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
She's expected back mid June.
Speaker 1 (22:55):
Also, we can't forget fellow class of twenty twenty four
draft d Rakia Jackson, who made the All Rookie team
last year and added to some sparks team lore with
an epic hard launch of her relationship with former Tennessee
football player James Pierce Junior, when she popped up during
the NFL draft coverage sitting next to him on the couch,
hand on his knee as he was drafted by the Falcons.
(23:15):
The stakes for this team, eh, The stakes are really
just to show improvement. No one should expect them to
rock it to the top of the standings, but they
do need to start building toward the future. Last season,
the team put up its fewest wins and most losses
in franchise history, so convincing Plumb to re sign, developing
Brink and Jackson, and establishing an identity will be key
to making LA a destination for free agents next season.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Let's talk some stats.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
Despite finishing in the bottom three in the standings for
the last four seasons, the team hasn't been bad defensively,
boasting a top five defensive rating twice during that four
year stretch of futility. Offensively, they've struggled. Per her hoopstats,
The Sparks finished tenth or eleventh in points per play,
points per scoring attempt, and effective field goal percentage each
(24:00):
of the last four seasons, and they were ninth or
worse in three point percentage in each season as well. Now,
as far as individual stats, something to keep an eye on.
Also from her hoopstats in a very small sample size, admittedly,
but in a very small sample size of just fifteen
games last season, Cameron brinks four point two blocks per
forty minutes were the most by a WNBA player since
(24:22):
the twenty seventeen season. Now, of course, the question is
can she keep up that pace for.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
A full season.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
The stories and lore for the Sparks include a tumultuous
time from twenty nineteen to twenty twenty two under head
coach and GM Derek Fisher, who had been a star
player with the mnba's Lakers, helping them to five titles.
Fisher's very first season with the Sparks in twenty nineteen
ended in a playoff meltdown as the team got swept
by the Sun in the semi finals, and Fisher not
(24:49):
only benched star Candae Parker for all but eleven minutes
in the last game, but He also sat his big
three Parker neck Ogumukay and Chelsea Gray for the entire
fourth quarter as their season came to an end. Folks
in LA are still complaining about the Derek Fisher era.
Fun fact, in two thousand and two, the Great Lisa
Leslie became the first player in the league to dunk
(25:11):
in a game, And in two thousand and eight, rookie
superstar Kandas Parker won both Rookie of the Year honors
and MVP honors in her first season, the first and
only time that's happened in league history. All Right, Mesh,
I think that's most of it for the Sparks. What
do you want to add?
Speaker 2 (25:27):
First?
Speaker 3 (25:27):
I want to add that folks in LA aren't the
only ones still complaining about the Fisher era in LA
as somebody who grew.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Up watching Kandas Parker. Please don't get me started.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
But as far as this year squad, Kelsey Plumb, of
course you mentioned she's the top dog. She's the alpha
on this roster. She made the move to LA from
Vegas in this offseason because she wanted to take on
a bigger role, not just on the court.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Right, She's always been a scorer even before.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
The pros held that NCAA D one scoring record until
Kayln Clark broke it in twenty twenty four. But in
terms of her leadership, right, she's learned, She's gleaned so
much I think from working with Becky Hammond, with Chelsea Gray,
with Asia Wilson. I'm very excited to see how that
translates and how she's able to help alongside Deerica Hanby
(26:15):
and alongside Odyssey Simms, both who have more than ten
years in the WNBA, how the three of them can
help Rikia and Cam and Ray Burrell, which is somebody
I don't think a lot of people talk about, somebody
I think has the potential to be a great role
player on an excellent team, whether that's at LA or
somewhere else. So I'm very excited for her just to
(26:36):
see her blossom, especially after last year dealing with you know,
having the divorce and people talking about that, and there's
all the stuff that has come her way since she
entered the league.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
You just made me think of some other lord that
I need to point out because you mentioned Kelsey Plumb
and her leadership and one of the things she does,
as I mentioned is that dog class where she wants
to help these collegiate players make in the transition, learn
how to thrive in the pro game. And do you
remember that she blocked the WNBA on social media because
she felt like she was getting preferential treatment in her
(27:06):
first season in the league because she was straight and white.
Speaker 2 (27:08):
She didn't think she was playing.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
She was like, I wasn't even playing well. I was
just bad and they were still treating me and hyping me. Now,
presumably part of that's because she came out of college
with that scoring record, so she had a big name
and people were excited to see her. But she literally
blocked the league and said, I was pissed. It's absolutely
a problem in our league. Just straight up I was
getting preferential treatment because I was straight and white, and
I just like what a leader.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
In that sense.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Yes, to be in that moment thinking like, partly, I'm
embarrassed that you're hyping me.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
I suck right now.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
I need to get better, but also understanding where it
was coming from and wanting to help correct it.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
So definitely forgot to put that in the Kelsey plumb more.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
But the humility there, right that is something having a
mind and a heart towards the work period and leaving
the distractor decide and recognizing when.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
You know you're getting a little more hype than you should.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
That's I mean, it's an excellent lesson for her to
pass on to the rest of these youngsters. But speaking
of the youngsters, Rakiah Jackson, who I've been high on,
I remain high on, showed us some flashes of excellence
of brilliance in twenty twenty four and in the unrivaled
season in the offseason scores from all three levels. On offense,
held her own against opponents some of the best guards
(28:19):
in the WNBA. On defense, to just a little stat
here among rookies, she was fifth in rebounds and steals
and tally the six most block shots at six to two.
So that's just a lot of versatility for her and
of course her teammate Cambrink. I am just so excited
for this young lady to have a season of healthy basketball.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Y'all.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
She's going to be electrifying. She was electrifying in those
fifteen games last season. Last but not at least I
mentioned Ray Burrell. Don't forget about her, and don't forget
about Azray Stevens. I'm keeping my up close eyes on
both of them. They're giving me really good vibes.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
Azray Stevens was great with my Chicago Sky, helping them
to their one and only title. And you may remember,
if you're a die Slice that I had to apologize
to her after watching Unrivaled.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
I thought she was a little stiffer.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
And then not only did she hoop in all the games,
but in the one v one tournament she showed me
something I didn't know she had.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
So I would like to see more Azay Stevens in space.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
Now that I have been proven wrong, I would like
to see more of that, please, So shout out to
Azaree Stevens. All Right, we love that you're listening Slices,
but we want you to get in the game every
day too.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
So here's our good game play of the day.
Speaker 1 (29:26):
Give us your biggest, boldest, craziest WNBA prediction of the season.
We want your hottest take, your spiciest stance, and all
of your stat driven assertions. So send them to us
good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave us a
voicemail at eight seven two two oh four fifty seventy
we always love to hear your voice. And also if
(29:46):
it's a super spicy stance, a super hot take, we
want to have the clip of you saying it so
we can play it later when you're right. Of course,
when you're when you're right, obviously, is when we want
to play it. Also, don't forget to subscribe, rate and review.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
It's easy, y'all.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
Watch Sabrinian Escu's return to Oregon, rating twenty five out
of twenty five points back on campus in Eugene Review.
On Monday, the New York Liberty played their final preseason game,
and they played it at Matthew Knight Arena on the
Oregon campus, letting former Ducks Sabrini and Escu and Niara
Sabli soak up all the love at their alma mater,
(30:21):
and Sabrina put on a show with twenty five points
and six threes, including one from way downtown. Now, if
you remember, Sabrina was a senior in twenty twenty when
the pandemic ended the season prematurely, so she really relished
the chance to get back in front of her adoring
fans and accept the Eugene Mayor's proclamation of May twelfth,
as quote Sabrina Yonescu Day. Also, guys, there was a
(30:45):
dance off between the Oregon Duck and Ellie the Elephant,
complete with a duck twerk. That's the stuff dreams are
made of, folks, well my dreams at least.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
Now it's your turn. Rate and review. Give us five stars,
tell us you love us. Thanks, Danielle.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
See you tomorrow when I'll be in San Francisco to
close out the shoot around with the thirteenth and final team,
the Golden State Valkyries, ahead of their very first WNBA
regular season game. Good Game, Dallas, Good Game, Los Angeles.
You retiring, MARTA's got this right, Just play forever. Good
(31:21):
Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production
in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You could
find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, our
producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive producers
are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and
(31:44):
Gianna Palmer, Our associate producer is Lucy Jones, and I'm
Your Host Sarah Spain.
Host
Sarah Spain
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