February 3, 2025 • 36 mins
Unrivaled co-founder and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier joins Sarah to discuss how she balances her playing and co-founder duties, the elements of Unrivaled she hopes to bring to the next WNBA CBA, and what it’s like having most of the WNBA’s biggest stars in one place during free agency. Plus, Apostro’Bam lives, we’re forever 22, and we get emotional about a truly excellent spreadsheet.
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Donate to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund here
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What are your takeaways from WNBA free agency? Biggest winners? Losers? What move surprised you most? Leave us a voicemail at 872-204-5070 or send us a note at goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com
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Check out slice Erin Raw’s glorious Good Game spreadsheet here and women’s pro sports spreadsheet here
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ESPN’s WNBA free agency tracker is here
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're screaming
Happy Black History Month louder than ever this year. It's Monday,
February third, and on today's show, we'll be talking with
unrivaled basketball co founder and Minnesota Links superstar and Avisa
Collier about playing in her own league while helping run it,
the WNBA's unidentified tamper rules, and having a quarter of
the w's players in one place during free agency, plus
(00:24):
all the latest w trades and deals. Aposto Bam Lives,
We're Forever twenty two and we celebrate spreadsheet excellence. It's
all coming up right after this. Welcome back and Happy Monday.
(00:45):
Here's what you need to know today.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
In the WNBA.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Well, y'all, free agency is free agencying, and a lot
has happened since we last spoke. So let's run through
the non exhaustive highlight, shall we. We're going to give
you a team by team look at player movement now. First,
what started out last week as a two team deal
with the big headline of Alyssa Thomas heading to Phoenix
turned into a four team trade between the Sun, the Wings,
(01:12):
the Fever, and the Mercury we'll start with the Mercury,
already newsmakers for the departure of Brittany Griner.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Then they end up adding two of the biggest.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Fish in the free agency pond, the aforementioned Alissa Thomas,
and as we learned on Saturday, they also get the
Unicorn Satu SABII. Now you'll hear plenty more on how
that four team deal affects other teams coming up. Heading
to Indiana a shocker in the Hoosier State, as Dewana
Bonner is not following her fiance Alisa Thomas to Phoenix.
(01:40):
Multiple outlets reported on Sunday that Bonner is headed to
the Indiana Fever to play for her former Connecticut Sun
head coach Stephanie White. The fifteen year VET, six time
All Star and two time WNBA champ joins newly signed
three time WNBA champ Natasha Howard, plus Sophie Cunningham, who
arrived in Indy in the Satu Sabli deal. There, of course,
(02:00):
alongside Caitlin Clark, Galia Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Fever also grabbed
the number nineteen.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Pick in the upcoming draft.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
You put all that together, and all of a sudden
Indy's looking like a squad, so no more.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Alyssa, Thomas and dB together.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
But there is good news on the hoops and gay
shit front because in Texas, the Dallas Wings got Djna
Carrington and Melissa Smith in that four team deal, a
win for love and for the gays. The Wings also
get Ty Harrison the trade who was originally reported as
heading to Phoenix before that deal expanded to four teams.
Wings also get the number twelve overall pick in the
(02:35):
upcoming draft to the Land of Rain and Tall Trees,
where we found out that the Seattle Storm re signed
WNBA president and nine time All Star Necka Ogou Mackay
after she texted the news to her sister, fellow baller
and ESPN reporter Chenay live on air. Cute way to
give little Sis the scoop. So the Storm moved forward
with Neka Skyler, Digg and Smith and the picks and
(02:57):
assets that they got in the Kelsey Plum Jewelloyd deal
down in Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
The Dream weren't done.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
After signing nine time All Star Britney Grinder last week.
They also signed three time All Star Brianna Jones, who
spent the first eight seasons of her w career in Connecticut.
The Dream also added Shatory Walker Kimbro, who spent the
last four years with the Washington Mystics.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Speaking of Washington, the Mystics are real quiet. Not much
to report. Out West.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
We know the La Sparks picked up two time champ
Kelsey Plum and now they've re signed Odyssey Simms, who
originally joined the team last year on a hardship contract.
Upstate from the Sparks, the Valkyries well in the Midwest. First,
my Chicago Sky brought back two time champ and five
time All Star Courtney Vanderslut. Then over the weekend it
(03:46):
was reported that they've also nabbed Rebecca Allen and Keia Nurse.
In the Desert, you'll recall that the Las Vegas Aces
acquired two time champ Jewel Lloyd, and also they nabbed
the number thirteen draft pick in the upcoming draft. And
out east, the Connecticut Sun. This team is damn near unrecognizable,
having lost or traded their entire twenty twenty four starting five.
(04:08):
But some good news came for the Sun on Sunday.
Fitting I suppose, as Soursos told the ESPNS, Alexa Philip
who they're getting Eight time All Star and three time
Olympian Tina Charles, who spent the first four seasons of
her career in Connecticut, winning League MVP back in twenty twelve.
Charles is the league's all time leading rebounder and second
overall all time in scoring, behind only Diana Tarassi. She's
(04:30):
thirty six years old, but she still put up nearly
fifteen points and ten boards a game last season for
the Dream. Now, once all the details of the Sun's
four team trade with the Wings, Fever, and Mercury shook out,
the Sun also ended up with Rebecca Allen, Natasha Cloud,
j C. Sheldon, and the number eight pick in the
upcoming draft. Fun fact, by the way, from across the timeline,
no non expansion WNBA franchise has ever finished a season
(04:53):
without playing at least two players who started a game
for them in the prior season. As of now, the
Connecticut Sun are down to just Marina May, who started
three games for them last season after being traded there.
As for the Links in Liberty, last year's finals contenders,
they're mostly staying put and running it back, with the
exception of Van der Slut leaving New York for the Sky.
We'll link to ESPN's Free Agency tracker in the show
(05:14):
notes and keep you posted on any future Wheelan and Dlan,
and we'll link to slice Alana Rebitzer's WNBA free agency charts.
She dabbled in a little interactive data visualization to show
player movement.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
You can check them out more WNBA news.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Last week we reported that the Indiana Fever will play
a preseason exhibition game against the Brazilian national team at
Caitlin Clark's alma mater, Iowa. Well, now we know my
Chicago Sky will also take on Brazil, but at LSU
Skystar Angel Reese's.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Old stomping grounds.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
That game will be May second, inside the Pete Marovitch
Assembly Center and we're sure to see plenty of fans
pop in Reese's pieces at that one. And while we're
on the topic of Angel responsorships, did you guys see
her McDonald's deal. You can now order the Angel Ree Special.
It's the first meal offered by McDonald's for a few
athlete pretty baller more hoops on Sunday, rating WNBA MVP
(06:05):
Asia Wilson's number twenty two jersey was raised to the
rafters of Colonial Life Arena at South Carolina ahead of
the second rank Game Cocks eighty three sixty six win
over Auburn. Wilson was the program's first National play of
the Year and first four time All American, and she
was the first three time SEC Player of the Year.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
In league history.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Wilson let the game Cocks for their first Final four
and first national championship, and upon graduating in twenty eighteen,
became the program's first number one overall WNBA draft pick.
Asia's Boo bam Adebio, fresh off a game winner for
the mnba's Miami Heat Saturday night, was in attendance, and
she gave him a little sly acknowledgment.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
I wouldn't be who I am today without the love,
support and sacrifices of so many people. And what a
blessing to have those most special to me courtside today,
especially my favorite Olympian from out of town, Wink.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Long live Apostre bam And speaking of twenty two is
being honored on two to two, Kaitlyn Clark's number twenty
two Jersey was retired at Carver Hawky Arena at the
University of Iowa on Sunday, as Well, the all time
leading scorer in NCAA Division One history, led the Hawkeyes
to back to back trips to the National Championship, going
on to be the number one pick in the twenty
twenty four WNBA Draft and earning All Star and Rookie
(07:23):
of the Year honors. The ceremony took place after Iowa
was huge seventy six sixty nine upset of number four USC.
Former Hawkeyes head coach Lisa Bluter was in attendance and
spoke about knowing that this.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Moment would come for Kaitlin Clark. Take a listen, just
a couple of short years ago, I came into the arena.
You were in here getting your shots off before the
practice like you always are. And now you tell you
pause for a second, and you looked up there and
you looked at those jerseys. I went over to you
with my m around your shoulder and said, Kaitlyn, someday
(07:56):
your name is.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Going to be up there.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Your jerseys can.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
By the way, shout out to Lucy Olson, who went
nuts in that game against the Trojans, dropping twenty eight
points the hard way. She didn't hit a single three pointer.
All her buckets came at the free throw liner from
the floor. She also posted four assists and four boards
in the win. Olson transferred from Villanova to Iowa, and
head coach Jan Jensen hoped she'd be able to make
up some of the scoring that left when Clark was
(08:22):
drafted to the WNBA. I'd say she's doing a pretty
good job. Quick shout out to Des Moines based store Raygun,
not to be confused with and certainly not named in
honor of the Australian breakdancer Raygun. The retailer temporarily rebranded
its Iowa City store as Forever twenty two and dropped
new Clark merch To commemorate the weekend, a post on
the store's Instagram announced it's like the spirit Halloween of
(08:45):
women's basketball. In NWSL news, we officially lost another one
US women's national team player. World Cup winner and Olympic
gold medalist, Crystal Dunn signed a two year deal with
Paris San Germain, officially moving on from GOTHAMFC after just
a season. Done previously played abroad with Chelsea, and while
it was brief stint, she did help them lift the
Women's Super League trophy in twenty eighteen. Now she'll head
(09:06):
to France, the home country of her husband Pierre Soubrier.
They'll of course bring their three year old son Marcel,
but no word yet on whether they'll be allowed to
bring their chickens. Family obviously a priority for Done, because
in a statement released by PSG on Friday, she said quote,
I'm so happy to be able to start this new adventure.
My family supports me and comes with me, so it's
important for me to find a club that has confidence
(09:27):
in me as a player, but that also accepts that
I come with my family. I have a connection with
France and I already feel at home end quote accepts
that I come with my family. Another cryptic comment from
a player leaving Gotham FC worth noting Gotham hired Subrier
as a consultant shortly after signing Done. He'd long been
(09:48):
a trainer with the Thorns and the Spirit, and before
joining Gotham had been cleared to return to the league
following a year's suspension for administering a medication that contained
coding in twenty twenty two as a trainer with the
Portland Thorns. Coding requires a prescription and should only be
administered by a physician. To gymnastics Jordan Childs scored her
second perfect ten of the season and tenth in her
UCLA career on Saturday, lifting her number six Bruins to
(10:11):
a comeback win over number five Michigan State. Chiles was
battling illness all week, including one hundred and four fever
on Wednesday, but she called it her flu game and
showed out on her Prince themed floor routine to secure
the win. You can watch it via the link in
our show notes. Athletes Unlimited Basketball tips off on Wednesday,
and the first draft of the season is today at
noon Eastern. Team captain Sidney Colson, Kirsten bell A, Vina Westbrook,
(10:34):
and Isabelle Harrison will put their GM hats on and
pick the players they want to rock with in week one.
You can catch the draft live on AU's YouTube page.
We'll link to it in our show notes. Also, keep
an eye out for more w signings of AU hoops players.
Because we already mentioned Kia Nurse and Odyssey Simms. I'm
starting to think we got a little second Tampa Bay
down in Nashville, maybe like a little Tampa town in
(10:57):
college hoops. There's a special matchup going on at seven
pm Eastern TI Tonight, number ten, Duke travels to number
seventeen NC State for one of this year's annual Play
for K games, benefiting cancer research and healthcare. The name
Play for K is an honor of k Yao, a
Natesmith and Women's Basketball Hall of Famer and the NC
State women's basketball head coach from nineteen seventy five until
her passing in two thousand and nine. Yao was diagnosed
(11:19):
with breast cancer in nineteen eighty seven, but continued to
coach despite the disease.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Starting in two thousand and six, she dedicated one of the.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Wolfpack's home games each year to raising awareness and money
for the fight against women's cancers. In the almost twenty years,
sense more than a thousand schools have held Play for
K games, with funds going to the k Yo Cancer Fund,
started by Yoo before her death. It's truly an incredible
example of community action. Oh and the action between these
two acc fos should be really good too.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Catch it Live on ESPN. Two unrivaled games.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Tonight give you a couple more reasons to kick it
on the couch, with Phantom BC playing Miss BC at
seven thirty Eastern, followed by Vinyl BC against the undefeated
Lunar Owls. The myst were the last team in the
l League to get a W. They finally got off
the schneid with a victory on Saturday over the Vinyl.
Both of tonight's games will be available live on tnt
oh when in case you missed it. Rose BC ford
(12:10):
Asrey Stevens, was at the center of a very cute
moment at Unrivaled this weekend. The whole crowd sang her
Happy Birthday on Saturday night after her team's win. Happy
belated Aquarius Queen will throw the video in our show notes.
We got to take a quick break when we come back.
Hoo do who It's Unrivaled Basketball co founder and Lunar
Owl's BC player and a FISA collier.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
We caught up with her at the tail end of
last week Justice.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
WNBA Free Agency t was eaten up, stick around.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Joining us now.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
She's a four time WNBA All Star, former WNBA Rookie
of the Year, last year's Defensive Player of the Year,
and runner up for WNBA MVP, a two time Olympic Champ,
Ncuba Champ.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
You're a league, Turkish Super League, FIBA, Europe.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Super cup Champ Unrivaled co founder Mama to Mela, lover
of mystery novels and one of the baddest hoopers in
the world.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
It's DEFEASA call your fee. Thanks so much for joining.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Us, Thanks for having me. That was a great introduction.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Thank you. I had to keep it real short.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
You have a lot of accolades, and we have only
so much time, but I just have to tell you personally,
like in the last couple of years, you become one
of my favorite players to watch. So I'm so excited
to get the chance to actually talk to especially about Unrivaled,
because we've been fan growing over here ever since a
lot of the information started to come out about who
was playing and everything else. What's been the biggest surprise
now that the season's actually up been running.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Thank you. I think just how fast like the momentum
has like it caught on and how fast like people
kind of embraced it, you know, obviously, like we think
it's a good idea. We started it, we we knew
how successful like it could be if everyone bought in.
But to see like the fans and the girls and
just ever like the women here, just everyone buying into it.
(13:53):
I wouldn't say it's surprising, but it's really like heartwarming
and kind of just validates everything that we've put into
this for the bests.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yeah, just two years, that's wild.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
I mean, so we had your husband Alex on the show,
and I know you guys ran a lot of practice
basketball runs to test for you know, points and how
to do the cameras and everything else. What's been surprising
basketball wise?
Speaker 4 (14:14):
If anything, I would say how fast it is. So
of course, you know, like we're gonna have shorter quarters
and the fourth quarter is like so exciting. But I
think that's a little bit surprising is how much fun
like I'm having in the fourth quarter because you know,
something I've never done before. And then also just how
good you have to get at your skills, Like you
have to improve in your ball handling, you have to
(14:35):
improve in your skill sets in your defense. It forces
you to get better. So we build the model to
access all those points and for you to get better
all around. But I think just seeing it in like
actually happening and how fast it's happening. I mean, we
just finished our second weekend and I can already see
an improvement in people, and I feel an improvement in myself.
So that's been really good to see.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
You couldn't have known that the league's first season would
tip off shortly after you and co founder Breonna Stewart
were going to head in the w finals.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Makes for a great story.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
But was it a frosty couple first days or weeks
of planning right after the finals?
Speaker 4 (15:09):
No, not at all. I mean during the finals, for sure,
like we weren't talking. We were like we were just
so locked into we both wanted to win, of course,
But after that, like is totally cool. I mean I
feel like I would. I have no hard feelings, she
has no hard feelings. It's basketball at the end of
the day, and you do whatever you can to win.
And so I think we both understand that we played
(15:30):
the game for a long time and so it wasn't
weird at all when we came back together.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
What's your dynamic as co founders, Like, who brings what
strengths to the table?
Speaker 4 (15:39):
That's a good question. I've never gotten that one before.
I think we bring honestly a lot of similar strength,
just because I feel like we're on like pretty parallel paths,
you know, going to the same college and we're both
mothers and the game. We're both elite players in our game,
so I think we just kind of validate each other's perspective.
Where you hear from one person, you believe it. Of
course with two people saying the same thing, just like
(15:59):
the way that we see the holes that's in what's
happening in the WNBA or in the game in general,
the way that we think we can make it better
and why other elite players would buy into this. So
I think again, I think we just validate each other's
points in that you know, we're the top people doing
this and we can get other top people to do
it as well.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Did you talk to a handful of players and just
test out, like would you guys be willing to do this?
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Like if we do this league, would you play? How many?
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Did you feel like you needed to kind of get
a taskit approval from before you felt comfortable going forward.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
We didn't do it in that way where we're like,
if we did this, you know, do you want to
do it? We had already started the ball rolling and
then it was just getting those first dominoes to fall,
Like we are doing this and if we have you
behind it, it's going to make it that much more successful,
and then you know, you will get the ball rolling
where we can get other players. And so getting that
buy in from the initial players was really crucial. So
(16:50):
we went after you know, obviously top people first. That's
a league of it's a league of all top people.
And also there's a little bit of a challenge because
it's something that's never been done before. It's kind of
hard to explain. Even when we before we started playing
the games, like a lot of the fans thought it
was still half court. It's just like a comset that
is a little bit hard to explain. So getting them
(17:11):
to buy in on that, I thought was just like
showed a lot of faith in what we're doing. And
you know, so yeah, that was that was like feels
like forever ago. But it was cool in those initial
days when you're trying to get that initial buy in.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
How are you balancing playing and the co founder role.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
I think I compartmentalized, Like when I'm at the gym
and I'm with my team, I'm strictly a player. It
is like kind of murky sometimes when players will come
up to me and be like, can we do this
or can we do this? I'm like I'll ask the
guys upstairs, I don't know, and then kind of at
the end of the day, when I'm talking to Alex,
my husband, like about what's going on on the other side,
then you kind of put on the other hat of
(17:47):
like you just see behind the scenes a lot more
of you know, fis that need to be put out
or what's going on where so cool?
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Does it make you more empathetic to your w team, presidents,
commission everything else, or does it make you feel like,
now I've figured out how to get this done and
now I want to go back and tell them how
to do it.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
I'm not definitely not cocky enough to think that I
can tell them how to run the league. It is
very different. You know, they are handicapped by a lot
of things just with the NBA that we don't have
to deal with. But at the same time, I do
think that we have things here that can be implemented
in the WNBA. I really like our business plan a lot,
and I like the way that, you know, how we're
able to treat the players. So we built this because
(18:28):
we think there are things that can be improved upon
and we want that. We want to ride to like
raise the level of all women's sports, So hopefully this
can just be an example of some things that can
get better.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I was briefly co owner of the Chicago Red Stars,
and I came in being like, screw the man, and
then I was like, oh, no, I'm the man, and
I'm like, how do I figure out how to bring
the things that I want to see changed? But also
now respect and understand that it's a little trickier than
just like giving everybody what they want all the time.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Like it's there's more things that stand in the way.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
So you're starting to learn some of that business side
of like running things while you're.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Also a part of it.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
But what we've seen clearly from Unrivaled is putting the
players first, prioritizing what you need from preseason athlete MRIs
to childcare all that stuff. Are there things that you
are going to push to bring back to the w NBA,
especially as part of the new CBA negotiations.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
Yeah, I mean I think there definitely should just be
a standard level of facilities in care and like accessibility
that players have. You know, you have you still have
teams where they're practicing rec centers like with the general public.
That's like a safety concern, not even just better facilities.
That's a safety issue, and especially as our league gets
more popular and we have superstars, it's just it's not safe.
(19:40):
So things like that, and you know, we really try
to provide the best of the best for everything, you know,
weight rooms, staffing, like the equipment that we're using, and
not just that, but stuff that's fun as well. Like
I'm not saying every team needs to have an esthetition
on handlet you here, those extra things are the things
that make it a professional environment where you're not just
having the necessities, but you're having you know, a little
(20:02):
bit extra too. It's is always nice, but just the
standard I think it needs to rise in some of
in some of the teams.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Yeah, I mean, it makes you feel special to have
things that you know are just not utilitarian, but are
also just to make you feel like, oh, we're pro athletes,
so we get.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Estheticians and we get so nice. Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
You mentioned that you have players coming up to you
with suggestions or questions. What's the wildest thing that someone
has said, like, ooh can we get this?
Speaker 4 (20:29):
It's not even stuff like that I've actually gotten. We
try to think of everything, honestly, and before we build this,
the team you know, came to me and Stewie and
they're like, Okay, let's make a list of everything. If
money wasn't an option, what would it be? And we
honestly hit all those all those things. And so I
haven't really heard anybody ask for something that we don't have.
(20:51):
It's more like, you know, I had like sweatshirts that
hadn't been released yet, like where can we get those?
Or I guess just like, oh, like something for a
maybe like can we get like a bigger training room
area And that's something that just we're in this place
for two years and we only have like limited space,
so like stuff like that. But I mean, I haven't
(21:13):
really heard anything that people are wanting.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Yeah, no outlandish demands nighttime warm chocolate cookie deliveries or
things like that. On One of the things we've noticed
in watching the first couple of weeks is these miked
up moments that seem to be everywhere. We can hear
play clalls, we can hear coaches being like she's not hurt,
she's alright, you know, we can hear all that stuff.
What's the response from the player so far do they
(21:36):
like that?
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Inside? Look where are they like, Man, I'm gonna get caught.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
I haven't heard anything bad about it. I think people
realize that, Like, I mean, one of the pillars of
it unrivaled is the content piece. Because brand building is
so important to our game. A lot of people don't
realize we make most of our money off the court,
and so building your brain is essential to like our
livelihoods in this career, and so I think they really
embrace that. And I think people realize, like we literally
(22:01):
all have a vested interest. We are all have equity
in this league. We need to do everything we can
to make sure it's successful. And one of those things
is content. You know, It's something that like might feel
pesky sometimes, but I think especially in this setting where
we know it directly affects, like the money in our pockets,
it makes it a lot easier to do all these things.
And I think it's fun, Like, yeah, I love hearing
(22:23):
the content for sure, even if before you're like, okay,
I got to get miked up hearing the little tidbits
we all laugh about in the locker room, Like it's
something that you can talk about and joke about. Later,
so it's kind of fun.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
It is interesting when you have equity in the league,
which all the players do, how much you want to
work toward making it successful in a way that's a
little bit harder to do, Like if you're a w
social manager and you're like, can you do all this
content for me?
Speaker 2 (22:45):
The players like, yeah, but who's money am I making? Right?
And how am I helping it?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
There's a little bit of that balance, which like, I
love that y'all made everybody be a part of wanting
this to succeed. You mentioned players requesting merch people want jerseys,
and I you know, when Alex came on our show,
he talked about how players need to make money off
their own name. Where are those jerseys and when are
we gonna start getting y'all some cash based on us
(23:09):
by buying your gear.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
I don't know. I need to ask him because I'm
wondering the same thing people are asking me about jerseys.
I think it's like this happens so fast, like our
deal with under Armour and them getting like our jerseys
was such a quick turnaround. So I'm sure it's in
the works, Like we want to get that out there
and get you know the people what they want, the
jerseys get the athletes paid, so I'm sure that they're
working over time to make it happen.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Yeah, there's so much conversation about roughly a quarter of
the WNBA's players in one place during free agency. So
I need you to take us behind the scenes because
in my head, I'm picturing like these big wine Feld dinners.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
It's like a table for thirty six.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Everyone's you know, talking about their playing experiences, talking up
or talking down their organizations, maybe pitching each other to join.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Like what's it really like?
Speaker 4 (23:54):
Honestly, there's way more touch points than that. Like we
are all in the same space. So I'm like I
leave even how I see a player right there, like, hey,
let me come talk to you for a second. Let
me talk to you about Minnesota. You know it's we are.
So I mean I pass them every day. All of
our areas are communal except for like, you know, your
your locker room, and so I'm seeing you in the
weight room, I'm seeing you in treatment, I'm seeing you
(24:16):
you know, in the sauna or whatever, in the makeup
room wherever. It is, like it's like your regular like
your team. The w NBA where you're around the facility,
you can just talk to your teammates whenever you want.
It's like that here. So you really with the wubble
almost Yeah, but we're not trapped.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Yeah, you're free to leave.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
So it really facilitates those conversations where you can build
those relationships. It's not like an awkward phone call to
someone that you don't have that much of a relationship with.
So I think this has actually been pretty instrumental in
like the freegency stuff.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
How do you make sure you're not tampering because we
tried to look up the tampering rules and we cannot
find them in black and white in like the CBA
or the.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Rule book, but we know they exist.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
So how do you know when a conversation goes from
like let me tell you some things I love about
the great state of Minnesota to like a full on
pitch or something you're not supposed to do.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
I mean, I don't know the tampering rules either, but
I don't really know how nobody does. Yeah, I don't
know how they can facilitate or put a rule on
you just talking to someone. You know, I'm not like
whining and dining, like I said, I'm just talking to
you in the hallway.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Like, I mean, you kind of are whining and dining
everyone because you gave them a whole last league in Miami.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
With a budget, cool shit and some money.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
If there was ever a good pitch, you and Brie
are doing it right now by giving people a whole
second income. Have you been surprised just walking around either
with people that you didn't know that well that you're like, oh, man,
like I really get along with this person, or people
that you see like hanging out and forming clicks that
you're like, I would not have paired those folks to
be friends.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Honestly, not really. It's been so like fun just getting
to know everyone. It's not like we have our separate teams.
You do obviously like your locker room you're practicing with
your team, but again, there's so many like communal areas
where you talk to everyone like you're like they're your teammate.
So just getting to know everyone a lot more has
been really cool and you get to I don't know,
(26:13):
it's just like this camaraderie. I guess that it's building,
which has been really fun to see.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Yeah, for me, it feels like I'm so competitive, that
it'd be so fun to meet everyone. But then when
you get back to like the w and you're all
in your separate little silos again, are you interested to
see how these relationships it'll probably make it more fun
to go see friends and compete and travel, but also
to know them well enough when you're you know, staring
(26:38):
them down trying to get to the hoop.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Yeah. I think the good thing that I've noticed about
the WNBA, we've always, like the DUBBA has always been
really small, and so you know, obviously it's even smaller
group here at Unrivaled. But I think like we're just
so good at being professionals. Like when we're on the court,
my team is my team. I'm riding and dying with them,
like I'm gonna do whatever I need to do to
make sure that my team wins. But when the game's over,
(27:01):
like you leave it on the court, it doesn't matter
if you got in like little TIFFs on the court,
if you're talking trash. You realize that that's the heat
of the game. And we're competitive, we're professional athletes. Like
there's a monster that comes out in all of us,
you know, But I think you just understand that what
happens there is there and then like we leave it,
we leave it there, and then you can be friends
again when I see you in the moment.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
A lot of people needed to figure that out with
the W last year, a lot of new viewers that
didn't quite understand that y'all were professional athletes doing your thing.
We are so looking forward to the one on one tournament,
and I'm wondering how much trash talk is going on
leading up to it, because for me, like you know,
when you're entering something like that, you're like, oh yeah,
my knee kind of hurts, Like you're putting out those
excuses just in case you don't play as well as
(27:43):
you want, but you're also kind of talking some smack
to try to get people afraid of facing you, Like,
do people seem nervous or excited.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Or there's a big cash bonus. So trash talk has
already commenced, right, two hundred racks. I'm I'm doing what
I need to do to win that.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Right.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
We even have enter teams trash talk. Courtny is already
trying to trash talk me.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Amazing. Who's got the biggest mouth?
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Courtney?
Speaker 5 (28:06):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Courney Williams around here somewhere.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Yes, yeah, Oh my gosh, I can't even imagine, Like
it's gonna be fascinating to see, Like is it a
fast moving big is it a guard with sick handles
who can avoid getting blocked?
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Like how much mobility come into play?
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Like this is like the stuff of dreams for bar arguments,
to actually get to see all the best players play
against each other.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Yeah, we get to settle the conversation that people are
having hypothetically, you know, every day.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Yeah. Fun, you mentioned Courtney Williams.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Your lunar Owls roster is crushing it, Skyler digg and Smith,
Alicia Gray, Shakira Austin, Cameron Brink of course the cheerleader
for the squad.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
What's making you guys?
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Go?
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Why are you so good?
Speaker 4 (28:48):
I think we just have a lot of competitors and
people who gel well, we have taken this like, I mean,
we just take it really seriously, Like we are in
the weight room together every day, We're doing treatment every day,
taking care of our bodies when we show up to practice,
like we're there to get better. So I just think
we have really competitive people on our team who want
to win and it's been really fun. We jell really
well together. Our chemistry has been great. From the beginning.
(29:11):
We played a lot, even from our first day of
training camp. We were playing like quarters to get that
chemistry up. So we worked hard to do it and
it's been really fun to do with this group.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Yeah, it's cool.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
You and Courtney have the Links connection, You and Skyler
have the Olympic connection. How did you get the other
folks to feel as connected?
Speaker 4 (29:28):
I played with Alisha too, just through USA. I think
the only person I hadn't was Shakira. But I think
we just don't have any egos on our team either,
Like everyone is there to learn from each other.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
You just said that about Courtney Williams. I want you
to hear what you just She doesn't know.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Courtney's really good. She talks her talk, but she's like, yeah,
she's pretty good with it, and she knows that she's
in the wrong or whatever it is. Yeah, but yeah,
we just don't have egos in that way where everyone
is equally there to teach each other and to learn
from each other, which you don't get all the time.
So I think that's what has also allowed us to
joe really well. Is there's no person who's trying to
(30:07):
be big dog that's you know, saying I need to
get the most shots. We're really genuinely there for the
team and if I have a good shot, I'm going
to pass it up for a great shot for you.
And so that mentality has allowed us to play really well.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
That's awesome. Okay, last question for you.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Because we had your husband Alex on the show to
give us an unrivaled one oh one get us all
prep for the league, we were thinking about you guys
working together. I mean, obviously you work together on skills
and everything else. He's a great trainer, but now you're
creating this league. What did you butt heads about? Was
there anything that you really disagreed on or that you
had to convince him or he had to convince you.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Not really, I feel like we're pretty in sync with everything.
I feel like we see the game the same way,
and I definitely concede to him a lot on the
business side, like the way that he sees business like.
He's really great at that part. So if anything, I
feel like it would be something on the player side
where I feel like I know more. But I don't
think we've butted heads on anything yet. That's pretty good
(31:00):
in the future, but that's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
What about me, La? Are you allowing her to give
her insight and two cents on everything?
Speaker 4 (31:06):
If I did that, there would be everywhere, no bedtimes
and fruit around every corner.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Okay, well, expansion next year, Team Blue.
Speaker 4 (31:14):
Yeah, yeah, you will sell a lot.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Of merch if you can get that trademark. We would
thank you so much for taking the time. I know
you're so busy. We're such big fans over here, so
thanks for coming on.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
Yeah, I appreciate it. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Thanks again to Fee for joining us. We got to
take another break when we come back. Want to you
Slices went above and beyond. You even made producer Alex
a little emotional stick around. Welcome back Slices. Hey, you
want to see producer Alex tear up while? You could
(31:50):
send her a video of lost pets reuniting with their owners.
Or you could watch or listen to an episode of
Anderson Cooper's podcast All There Is About grief, or for
a different kind of tears. You could make a spreadsheet,
a glorious spreadsheet like Super Slice Aaron Raw did. Aaron
made a spreadsheet with all the good Game with Sarah
(32:10):
Spain recommendations, a tab for the books we've discussed, a
tab for the podcast we've shouted out, one for other
media like films and essays that we've suggested, and even
a tab for the merch companies that we've recommended. This
beauty of a Google doc even less the episode number
where you can find the discussion and the links to
the content that we included in the show notes that day.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Chef's Kiss Aaron standing ovation over here. This is incredible.
This is just unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
Yeah, like honestly, literal tears. Literal tears, and folks, you
know what she wasn't done. She also made a spreadsheet
for the major North American women's sports leagues, including the
season in which they play, links to the team site,
social accounts, where to watch, and even some unique rules
for each league. She's an organized queen, you know, and
(33:00):
wouldn't love it more. And of course we'll put the
links to both of those docs in the show notes.
We'll book mark them and use them. Folks, she did
all that beautiful work and now we don't have to
someone get Alex a tissue. 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.
Tell us your biggest winners from WNBA Free Agency. Maybe
(33:20):
Dja and Melissa getting to play together.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
And who are the losers?
Speaker 1 (33:25):
I mean, who's organizing the flower delivery for Marina Maybrey.
She just learned how to season food and she's got
no one to cook for. All our friends have left town.
We want to hear your biggest takeaways to all the
w Free Agency news, so send them in. Also, we
told you about those annual play for k games. Well,
if you want to help, you can donate at kyou
dot com.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
We'll put the link in our show notes. We always
love to hear from you.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
To hit us up on email, good game at wondermedianetwork
dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven
two two oh four fifty seventy And y'all, I'm not
saying this for my health, it really helps us.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
If you subscribe, rate and review, go five stars, write
a review, tell us you love us. It's super easy watch.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Women athletes making enough green to treat their parents. Rating
five out of five. Big Old Bag is a dope
review on last week's episode of Unapologetically Angel skystar Angel
Rees surprised her mom with the birthday cake and so
much more.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Take a lesson.
Speaker 5 (34:22):
What's your birthday today?
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (34:24):
And for your birthday today? Oh wow, well this is
your cake.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
You said that if your mortgage was paid off that
you will retire or you can pick if you want
to work still. So your mortgage today has been paid.
See you drop in a cake today. Your mortgage has
been paid. You ain't gonna worry about your mortgage no more.
And if you want to still work and keep yourself,
if you want to keep yourself busy, you can keep
(34:49):
yourself busy. But Jammel has a handle. Shout out to
Jamel to making it happen Anda, of course. But your
mortgage is paid and you don't gotta work. You don't
have to work anymore. Yes, yes, And when I went
to Chicago this year, actually I'm getting a house, y'all.
You can come stay with me whenever you want to,
so you jesus okay, happy by day.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
We are so used to seeing videos of dudes buying
their folks cars and houses and taking care of all
the people that help them reach the top. It is
incredible and incredibly overdue getting to see the world's best
women athletes make enough money playing their sport to do
the same. Shout out Angel and shout out to her mama.
Also Angel aka Big Angel, who's in the University of
(35:35):
Maryland at Baltimore County Hall of Fame and played pro
ball in Luxembourg. Those hoops genes clearly do and work.
Now it's your turn rate and review. Thanks for listening.
See you tomorrow when Voice in Sports Steph Strack and
student athlete Maggie Monson join us to talk about a
big name school getting called out for Title nine violations
and the push for better compliance on Capitol Hill. Good Game, Fee,
(35:58):
Good Game, Beyonce, saw that Cowboy Carter Tour announcement and
you Puck Satawani Phil six more weeks of Winter My Ass.
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network,
(36:20):
our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive
producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez and Grace Lynch.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Our associate producer is Lucy Jones and I'm Your host
Sarah Spain
Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're screaming
Happy Black History Month louder than ever this year. It's Monday,
February third, and on today's show, we'll be talking with
unrivaled basketball co founder and Minnesota Links superstar and Avisa
Collier about playing in her own league while helping run it,
the WNBA's unidentified tamper rules, and having a quarter of
the w's players in one place during free agency, plus
(00:24):
all the latest w trades and deals. Aposto Bam Lives,
We're Forever twenty two and we celebrate spreadsheet excellence. It's
all coming up right after this. Welcome back and Happy Monday.
(00:45):
Here's what you need to know today.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
In the WNBA.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
Well, y'all, free agency is free agencying, and a lot
has happened since we last spoke. So let's run through
the non exhaustive highlight, shall we. We're going to give
you a team by team look at player movement now. First,
what started out last week as a two team deal
with the big headline of Alyssa Thomas heading to Phoenix
turned into a four team trade between the Sun, the Wings,
(01:12):
the Fever, and the Mercury we'll start with the Mercury,
already newsmakers for the departure of Brittany Griner.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Then they end up adding two of the biggest.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Fish in the free agency pond, the aforementioned Alissa Thomas,
and as we learned on Saturday, they also get the
Unicorn Satu SABII. Now you'll hear plenty more on how
that four team deal affects other teams coming up. Heading
to Indiana a shocker in the Hoosier State, as Dewana
Bonner is not following her fiance Alisa Thomas to Phoenix.
(01:40):
Multiple outlets reported on Sunday that Bonner is headed to
the Indiana Fever to play for her former Connecticut Sun
head coach Stephanie White. The fifteen year VET, six time
All Star and two time WNBA champ joins newly signed
three time WNBA champ Natasha Howard, plus Sophie Cunningham, who
arrived in Indy in the Satu Sabli deal. There, of course,
(02:00):
alongside Caitlin Clark, Galia Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Fever also grabbed
the number nineteen.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Pick in the upcoming draft.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
You put all that together, and all of a sudden
Indy's looking like a squad, so no more.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Alyssa, Thomas and dB together.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
But there is good news on the hoops and gay
shit front because in Texas, the Dallas Wings got Djna
Carrington and Melissa Smith in that four team deal, a
win for love and for the gays. The Wings also
get Ty Harrison the trade who was originally reported as
heading to Phoenix before that deal expanded to four teams.
Wings also get the number twelve overall pick in the
(02:35):
upcoming draft to the Land of Rain and Tall Trees,
where we found out that the Seattle Storm re signed
WNBA president and nine time All Star Necka Ogou Mackay
after she texted the news to her sister, fellow baller
and ESPN reporter Chenay live on air. Cute way to
give little Sis the scoop. So the Storm moved forward
with Neka Skyler, Digg and Smith and the picks and
(02:57):
assets that they got in the Kelsey Plum Jewelloyd deal
down in Atlanta.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
The Dream weren't done.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
After signing nine time All Star Britney Grinder last week.
They also signed three time All Star Brianna Jones, who
spent the first eight seasons of her w career in Connecticut.
The Dream also added Shatory Walker Kimbro, who spent the
last four years with the Washington Mystics.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Speaking of Washington, the Mystics are real quiet. Not much
to report. Out West.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
We know the La Sparks picked up two time champ
Kelsey Plum and now they've re signed Odyssey Simms, who
originally joined the team last year on a hardship contract.
Upstate from the Sparks, the Valkyries well in the Midwest. First,
my Chicago Sky brought back two time champ and five
time All Star Courtney Vanderslut. Then over the weekend it
(03:46):
was reported that they've also nabbed Rebecca Allen and Keia Nurse.
In the Desert, you'll recall that the Las Vegas Aces
acquired two time champ Jewel Lloyd, and also they nabbed
the number thirteen draft pick in the upcoming draft. And
out east, the Connecticut Sun. This team is damn near unrecognizable,
having lost or traded their entire twenty twenty four starting five.
(04:08):
But some good news came for the Sun on Sunday.
Fitting I suppose, as Soursos told the ESPNS, Alexa Philip
who they're getting Eight time All Star and three time
Olympian Tina Charles, who spent the first four seasons of
her career in Connecticut, winning League MVP back in twenty twelve.
Charles is the league's all time leading rebounder and second
overall all time in scoring, behind only Diana Tarassi. She's
(04:30):
thirty six years old, but she still put up nearly
fifteen points and ten boards a game last season for
the Dream. Now, once all the details of the Sun's
four team trade with the Wings, Fever, and Mercury shook out,
the Sun also ended up with Rebecca Allen, Natasha Cloud,
j C. Sheldon, and the number eight pick in the
upcoming draft. Fun fact, by the way, from across the timeline,
no non expansion WNBA franchise has ever finished a season
(04:53):
without playing at least two players who started a game
for them in the prior season. As of now, the
Connecticut Sun are down to just Marina May, who started
three games for them last season after being traded there.
As for the Links in Liberty, last year's finals contenders,
they're mostly staying put and running it back, with the
exception of Van der Slut leaving New York for the Sky.
We'll link to ESPN's Free Agency tracker in the show
(05:14):
notes and keep you posted on any future Wheelan and Dlan,
and we'll link to slice Alana Rebitzer's WNBA free agency charts.
She dabbled in a little interactive data visualization to show
player movement.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
You can check them out more WNBA news.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Last week we reported that the Indiana Fever will play
a preseason exhibition game against the Brazilian national team at
Caitlin Clark's alma mater, Iowa. Well, now we know my
Chicago Sky will also take on Brazil, but at LSU
Skystar Angel Reese's.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Old stomping grounds.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
That game will be May second, inside the Pete Marovitch
Assembly Center and we're sure to see plenty of fans
pop in Reese's pieces at that one. And while we're
on the topic of Angel responsorships, did you guys see
her McDonald's deal. You can now order the Angel Ree Special.
It's the first meal offered by McDonald's for a few
athlete pretty baller more hoops on Sunday, rating WNBA MVP
(06:05):
Asia Wilson's number twenty two jersey was raised to the
rafters of Colonial Life Arena at South Carolina ahead of
the second rank Game Cocks eighty three sixty six win
over Auburn. Wilson was the program's first National play of
the Year and first four time All American, and she
was the first three time SEC Player of the Year.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
In league history.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Wilson let the game Cocks for their first Final four
and first national championship, and upon graduating in twenty eighteen,
became the program's first number one overall WNBA draft pick.
Asia's Boo bam Adebio, fresh off a game winner for
the mnba's Miami Heat Saturday night, was in attendance, and
she gave him a little sly acknowledgment.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
I wouldn't be who I am today without the love,
support and sacrifices of so many people. And what a
blessing to have those most special to me courtside today,
especially my favorite Olympian from out of town, Wink.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Long live Apostre bam And speaking of twenty two is
being honored on two to two, Kaitlyn Clark's number twenty
two Jersey was retired at Carver Hawky Arena at the
University of Iowa on Sunday, as Well, the all time
leading scorer in NCAA Division One history, led the Hawkeyes
to back to back trips to the National Championship, going
on to be the number one pick in the twenty
twenty four WNBA Draft and earning All Star and Rookie
(07:23):
of the Year honors. The ceremony took place after Iowa
was huge seventy six sixty nine upset of number four USC.
Former Hawkeyes head coach Lisa Bluter was in attendance and
spoke about knowing that this.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Moment would come for Kaitlin Clark. Take a listen, just
a couple of short years ago, I came into the arena.
You were in here getting your shots off before the
practice like you always are. And now you tell you
pause for a second, and you looked up there and
you looked at those jerseys. I went over to you
with my m around your shoulder and said, Kaitlyn, someday
(07:56):
your name is.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Going to be up there.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
Your jerseys can.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
By the way, shout out to Lucy Olson, who went
nuts in that game against the Trojans, dropping twenty eight
points the hard way. She didn't hit a single three pointer.
All her buckets came at the free throw liner from
the floor. She also posted four assists and four boards
in the win. Olson transferred from Villanova to Iowa, and
head coach Jan Jensen hoped she'd be able to make
up some of the scoring that left when Clark was
(08:22):
drafted to the WNBA. I'd say she's doing a pretty
good job. Quick shout out to Des Moines based store Raygun,
not to be confused with and certainly not named in
honor of the Australian breakdancer Raygun. The retailer temporarily rebranded
its Iowa City store as Forever twenty two and dropped
new Clark merch To commemorate the weekend, a post on
the store's Instagram announced it's like the spirit Halloween of
(08:45):
women's basketball. In NWSL news, we officially lost another one
US women's national team player. World Cup winner and Olympic
gold medalist, Crystal Dunn signed a two year deal with
Paris San Germain, officially moving on from GOTHAMFC after just
a season. Done previously played abroad with Chelsea, and while
it was brief stint, she did help them lift the
Women's Super League trophy in twenty eighteen. Now she'll head
(09:06):
to France, the home country of her husband Pierre Soubrier.
They'll of course bring their three year old son Marcel,
but no word yet on whether they'll be allowed to
bring their chickens. Family obviously a priority for Done, because
in a statement released by PSG on Friday, she said quote,
I'm so happy to be able to start this new adventure.
My family supports me and comes with me, so it's
important for me to find a club that has confidence
(09:27):
in me as a player, but that also accepts that
I come with my family. I have a connection with
France and I already feel at home end quote accepts
that I come with my family. Another cryptic comment from
a player leaving Gotham FC worth noting Gotham hired Subrier
as a consultant shortly after signing Done. He'd long been
(09:48):
a trainer with the Thorns and the Spirit, and before
joining Gotham had been cleared to return to the league
following a year's suspension for administering a medication that contained
coding in twenty twenty two as a trainer with the
Portland Thorns. Coding requires a prescription and should only be
administered by a physician. To gymnastics Jordan Childs scored her
second perfect ten of the season and tenth in her
UCLA career on Saturday, lifting her number six Bruins to
(10:11):
a comeback win over number five Michigan State. Chiles was
battling illness all week, including one hundred and four fever
on Wednesday, but she called it her flu game and
showed out on her Prince themed floor routine to secure
the win. You can watch it via the link in
our show notes. Athletes Unlimited Basketball tips off on Wednesday,
and the first draft of the season is today at
noon Eastern. Team captain Sidney Colson, Kirsten bell A, Vina Westbrook,
(10:34):
and Isabelle Harrison will put their GM hats on and
pick the players they want to rock with in week one.
You can catch the draft live on AU's YouTube page.
We'll link to it in our show notes. Also, keep
an eye out for more w signings of AU hoops players.
Because we already mentioned Kia Nurse and Odyssey Simms. I'm
starting to think we got a little second Tampa Bay
down in Nashville, maybe like a little Tampa town in
(10:57):
college hoops. There's a special matchup going on at seven
pm Eastern TI Tonight, number ten, Duke travels to number
seventeen NC State for one of this year's annual Play
for K games, benefiting cancer research and healthcare. The name
Play for K is an honor of k Yao, a
Natesmith and Women's Basketball Hall of Famer and the NC
State women's basketball head coach from nineteen seventy five until
her passing in two thousand and nine. Yao was diagnosed
(11:19):
with breast cancer in nineteen eighty seven, but continued to
coach despite the disease.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Starting in two thousand and six, she dedicated one of the.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Wolfpack's home games each year to raising awareness and money
for the fight against women's cancers. In the almost twenty years,
sense more than a thousand schools have held Play for
K games, with funds going to the k Yo Cancer Fund,
started by Yoo before her death. It's truly an incredible
example of community action. Oh and the action between these
two acc fos should be really good too.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Catch it Live on ESPN. Two unrivaled games.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Tonight give you a couple more reasons to kick it
on the couch, with Phantom BC playing Miss BC at
seven thirty Eastern, followed by Vinyl BC against the undefeated
Lunar Owls. The myst were the last team in the
l League to get a W. They finally got off
the schneid with a victory on Saturday over the Vinyl.
Both of tonight's games will be available live on tnt
oh when in case you missed it. Rose BC ford
(12:10):
Asrey Stevens, was at the center of a very cute
moment at Unrivaled this weekend. The whole crowd sang her
Happy Birthday on Saturday night after her team's win. Happy
belated Aquarius Queen will throw the video in our show notes.
We got to take a quick break when we come back.
Hoo do who It's Unrivaled Basketball co founder and Lunar
Owl's BC player and a FISA collier.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
We caught up with her at the tail end of
last week Justice.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
WNBA Free Agency t was eaten up, stick around.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Joining us now.
Speaker 1 (12:46):
She's a four time WNBA All Star, former WNBA Rookie
of the Year, last year's Defensive Player of the Year,
and runner up for WNBA MVP, a two time Olympic Champ,
Ncuba Champ.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
You're a league, Turkish Super League, FIBA, Europe.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Super cup Champ Unrivaled co founder Mama to Mela, lover
of mystery novels and one of the baddest hoopers in
the world.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
It's DEFEASA call your fee. Thanks so much for joining.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
Us, Thanks for having me. That was a great introduction.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Thank you. I had to keep it real short.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
You have a lot of accolades, and we have only
so much time, but I just have to tell you personally,
like in the last couple of years, you become one
of my favorite players to watch. So I'm so excited
to get the chance to actually talk to especially about Unrivaled,
because we've been fan growing over here ever since a
lot of the information started to come out about who
was playing and everything else. What's been the biggest surprise
now that the season's actually up been running.
Speaker 4 (13:32):
Thank you. I think just how fast like the momentum
has like it caught on and how fast like people
kind of embraced it, you know, obviously, like we think
it's a good idea. We started it, we we knew
how successful like it could be if everyone bought in.
But to see like the fans and the girls and
just ever like the women here, just everyone buying into it.
(13:53):
I wouldn't say it's surprising, but it's really like heartwarming
and kind of just validates everything that we've put into
this for the bests.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Yeah, just two years, that's wild.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
I mean, so we had your husband Alex on the show,
and I know you guys ran a lot of practice
basketball runs to test for you know, points and how
to do the cameras and everything else. What's been surprising
basketball wise?
Speaker 4 (14:14):
If anything, I would say how fast it is. So
of course, you know, like we're gonna have shorter quarters
and the fourth quarter is like so exciting. But I
think that's a little bit surprising is how much fun
like I'm having in the fourth quarter because you know,
something I've never done before. And then also just how
good you have to get at your skills, Like you
have to improve in your ball handling, you have to
(14:35):
improve in your skill sets in your defense. It forces
you to get better. So we build the model to
access all those points and for you to get better
all around. But I think just seeing it in like
actually happening and how fast it's happening. I mean, we
just finished our second weekend and I can already see
an improvement in people, and I feel an improvement in myself.
So that's been really good to see.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
You couldn't have known that the league's first season would
tip off shortly after you and co founder Breonna Stewart
were going to head in the w finals.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Makes for a great story.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
But was it a frosty couple first days or weeks
of planning right after the finals?
Speaker 4 (15:09):
No, not at all. I mean during the finals, for sure,
like we weren't talking. We were like we were just
so locked into we both wanted to win, of course,
But after that, like is totally cool. I mean I
feel like I would. I have no hard feelings, she
has no hard feelings. It's basketball at the end of
the day, and you do whatever you can to win.
And so I think we both understand that we played
(15:30):
the game for a long time and so it wasn't
weird at all when we came back together.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
What's your dynamic as co founders, Like, who brings what
strengths to the table?
Speaker 4 (15:39):
That's a good question. I've never gotten that one before.
I think we bring honestly a lot of similar strength,
just because I feel like we're on like pretty parallel paths,
you know, going to the same college and we're both
mothers and the game. We're both elite players in our game,
so I think we just kind of validate each other's perspective.
Where you hear from one person, you believe it. Of
course with two people saying the same thing, just like
(15:59):
the way that we see the holes that's in what's
happening in the WNBA or in the game in general,
the way that we think we can make it better
and why other elite players would buy into this. So
I think again, I think we just validate each other's
points in that you know, we're the top people doing
this and we can get other top people to do
it as well.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Did you talk to a handful of players and just
test out, like would you guys be willing to do this?
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Like if we do this league, would you play? How many?
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Did you feel like you needed to kind of get
a taskit approval from before you felt comfortable going forward.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
We didn't do it in that way where we're like,
if we did this, you know, do you want to
do it? We had already started the ball rolling and
then it was just getting those first dominoes to fall,
Like we are doing this and if we have you
behind it, it's going to make it that much more successful,
and then you know, you will get the ball rolling
where we can get other players. And so getting that
buy in from the initial players was really crucial. So
(16:50):
we went after you know, obviously top people first. That's
a league of it's a league of all top people.
And also there's a little bit of a challenge because
it's something that's never been done before. It's kind of
hard to explain. Even when we before we started playing
the games, like a lot of the fans thought it
was still half court. It's just like a comset that
is a little bit hard to explain. So getting them
(17:11):
to buy in on that, I thought was just like
showed a lot of faith in what we're doing. And
you know, so yeah, that was that was like feels
like forever ago. But it was cool in those initial
days when you're trying to get that initial buy in.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
How are you balancing playing and the co founder role.
Speaker 4 (17:26):
I think I compartmentalized, Like when I'm at the gym
and I'm with my team, I'm strictly a player. It
is like kind of murky sometimes when players will come
up to me and be like, can we do this
or can we do this? I'm like I'll ask the
guys upstairs, I don't know, and then kind of at
the end of the day, when I'm talking to Alex,
my husband, like about what's going on on the other side,
then you kind of put on the other hat of
(17:47):
like you just see behind the scenes a lot more
of you know, fis that need to be put out
or what's going on where so cool?
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Does it make you more empathetic to your w team, presidents,
commission everything else, or does it make you feel like,
now I've figured out how to get this done and
now I want to go back and tell them how
to do it.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
I'm not definitely not cocky enough to think that I
can tell them how to run the league. It is
very different. You know, they are handicapped by a lot
of things just with the NBA that we don't have
to deal with. But at the same time, I do
think that we have things here that can be implemented
in the WNBA. I really like our business plan a lot,
and I like the way that, you know, how we're
able to treat the players. So we built this because
(18:28):
we think there are things that can be improved upon
and we want that. We want to ride to like
raise the level of all women's sports, So hopefully this
can just be an example of some things that can
get better.
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
I was briefly co owner of the Chicago Red Stars,
and I came in being like, screw the man, and
then I was like, oh, no, I'm the man, and
I'm like, how do I figure out how to bring
the things that I want to see changed? But also
now respect and understand that it's a little trickier than
just like giving everybody what they want all the time.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Like it's there's more things that stand in the way.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
So you're starting to learn some of that business side
of like running things while you're.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Also a part of it.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
But what we've seen clearly from Unrivaled is putting the
players first, prioritizing what you need from preseason athlete MRIs
to childcare all that stuff. Are there things that you
are going to push to bring back to the w NBA,
especially as part of the new CBA negotiations.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
Yeah, I mean I think there definitely should just be
a standard level of facilities in care and like accessibility
that players have. You know, you have you still have
teams where they're practicing rec centers like with the general public.
That's like a safety concern, not even just better facilities.
That's a safety issue, and especially as our league gets
more popular and we have superstars, it's just it's not safe.
(19:40):
So things like that, and you know, we really try
to provide the best of the best for everything, you know,
weight rooms, staffing, like the equipment that we're using, and
not just that, but stuff that's fun as well. Like
I'm not saying every team needs to have an esthetition
on handlet you here, those extra things are the things
that make it a professional environment where you're not just
having the necessities, but you're having you know, a little
(20:02):
bit extra too. It's is always nice, but just the
standard I think it needs to rise in some of
in some of the teams.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Yeah, I mean, it makes you feel special to have
things that you know are just not utilitarian, but are
also just to make you feel like, oh, we're pro athletes,
so we get.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Estheticians and we get so nice. Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
You mentioned that you have players coming up to you
with suggestions or questions. What's the wildest thing that someone
has said, like, ooh can we get this?
Speaker 4 (20:29):
It's not even stuff like that I've actually gotten. We
try to think of everything, honestly, and before we build this,
the team you know, came to me and Stewie and
they're like, Okay, let's make a list of everything. If
money wasn't an option, what would it be? And we
honestly hit all those all those things. And so I
haven't really heard anybody ask for something that we don't have.
(20:51):
It's more like, you know, I had like sweatshirts that
hadn't been released yet, like where can we get those?
Or I guess just like, oh, like something for a
maybe like can we get like a bigger training room
area And that's something that just we're in this place
for two years and we only have like limited space,
so like stuff like that. But I mean, I haven't
(21:13):
really heard anything that people are wanting.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
Yeah, no outlandish demands nighttime warm chocolate cookie deliveries or
things like that. On One of the things we've noticed
in watching the first couple of weeks is these miked
up moments that seem to be everywhere. We can hear
play clalls, we can hear coaches being like she's not hurt,
she's alright, you know, we can hear all that stuff.
What's the response from the player so far do they
(21:36):
like that?
Speaker 2 (21:37):
Inside? Look where are they like, Man, I'm gonna get caught.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
I haven't heard anything bad about it. I think people
realize that, Like, I mean, one of the pillars of
it unrivaled is the content piece. Because brand building is
so important to our game. A lot of people don't
realize we make most of our money off the court,
and so building your brain is essential to like our
livelihoods in this career, and so I think they really
embrace that. And I think people realize, like we literally
(22:01):
all have a vested interest. We are all have equity
in this league. We need to do everything we can
to make sure it's successful. And one of those things
is content. You know, It's something that like might feel
pesky sometimes, but I think especially in this setting where
we know it directly affects, like the money in our pockets,
it makes it a lot easier to do all these things.
And I think it's fun, Like, yeah, I love hearing
(22:23):
the content for sure, even if before you're like, okay,
I got to get miked up hearing the little tidbits
we all laugh about in the locker room, Like it's
something that you can talk about and joke about. Later,
so it's kind of fun.
Speaker 1 (22:34):
It is interesting when you have equity in the league,
which all the players do, how much you want to
work toward making it successful in a way that's a
little bit harder to do, Like if you're a w
social manager and you're like, can you do all this
content for me?
Speaker 2 (22:45):
The players like, yeah, but who's money am I making? Right?
And how am I helping it?
Speaker 1 (22:49):
There's a little bit of that balance, which like, I
love that y'all made everybody be a part of wanting
this to succeed. You mentioned players requesting merch people want jerseys,
and I you know, when Alex came on our show,
he talked about how players need to make money off
their own name. Where are those jerseys and when are
we gonna start getting y'all some cash based on us
(23:09):
by buying your gear.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
I don't know. I need to ask him because I'm
wondering the same thing people are asking me about jerseys.
I think it's like this happens so fast, like our
deal with under Armour and them getting like our jerseys
was such a quick turnaround. So I'm sure it's in
the works, Like we want to get that out there
and get you know the people what they want, the
jerseys get the athletes paid, so I'm sure that they're
working over time to make it happen.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
Yeah, there's so much conversation about roughly a quarter of
the WNBA's players in one place during free agency. So
I need you to take us behind the scenes because
in my head, I'm picturing like these big wine Feld dinners.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
It's like a table for thirty six.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Everyone's you know, talking about their playing experiences, talking up
or talking down their organizations, maybe pitching each other to join.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Like what's it really like?
Speaker 4 (23:54):
Honestly, there's way more touch points than that. Like we
are all in the same space. So I'm like I
leave even how I see a player right there, like, hey,
let me come talk to you for a second. Let
me talk to you about Minnesota. You know it's we are.
So I mean I pass them every day. All of
our areas are communal except for like, you know, your
your locker room, and so I'm seeing you in the
weight room, I'm seeing you in treatment, I'm seeing you
(24:16):
you know, in the sauna or whatever, in the makeup
room wherever. It is, like it's like your regular like
your team. The w NBA where you're around the facility,
you can just talk to your teammates whenever you want.
It's like that here. So you really with the wubble
almost Yeah, but we're not trapped.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Yeah, you're free to leave.
Speaker 4 (24:36):
So it really facilitates those conversations where you can build
those relationships. It's not like an awkward phone call to
someone that you don't have that much of a relationship with.
So I think this has actually been pretty instrumental in
like the freegency stuff.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
How do you make sure you're not tampering because we
tried to look up the tampering rules and we cannot
find them in black and white in like the CBA
or the.
Speaker 2 (24:58):
Rule book, but we know they exist.
Speaker 1 (25:00):
So how do you know when a conversation goes from
like let me tell you some things I love about
the great state of Minnesota to like a full on
pitch or something you're not supposed to do.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
I mean, I don't know the tampering rules either, but
I don't really know how nobody does. Yeah, I don't
know how they can facilitate or put a rule on
you just talking to someone. You know, I'm not like
whining and dining, like I said, I'm just talking to
you in the hallway.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Like, I mean, you kind of are whining and dining
everyone because you gave them a whole last league in Miami.
Speaker 2 (25:29):
With a budget, cool shit and some money.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
If there was ever a good pitch, you and Brie
are doing it right now by giving people a whole
second income. Have you been surprised just walking around either
with people that you didn't know that well that you're like, oh, man,
like I really get along with this person, or people
that you see like hanging out and forming clicks that
you're like, I would not have paired those folks to
be friends.
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Honestly, not really. It's been so like fun just getting
to know everyone. It's not like we have our separate teams.
You do obviously like your locker room you're practicing with
your team, but again, there's so many like communal areas
where you talk to everyone like you're like they're your teammate.
So just getting to know everyone a lot more has
been really cool and you get to I don't know,
(26:13):
it's just like this camaraderie. I guess that it's building,
which has been really fun to see.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Yeah, for me, it feels like I'm so competitive, that
it'd be so fun to meet everyone. But then when
you get back to like the w and you're all
in your separate little silos again, are you interested to
see how these relationships it'll probably make it more fun
to go see friends and compete and travel, but also
to know them well enough when you're you know, staring
(26:38):
them down trying to get to the hoop.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
Yeah. I think the good thing that I've noticed about
the WNBA, we've always, like the DUBBA has always been
really small, and so you know, obviously it's even smaller
group here at Unrivaled. But I think like we're just
so good at being professionals. Like when we're on the court,
my team is my team. I'm riding and dying with them,
like I'm gonna do whatever I need to do to
make sure that my team wins. But when the game's over,
(27:01):
like you leave it on the court, it doesn't matter
if you got in like little TIFFs on the court,
if you're talking trash. You realize that that's the heat
of the game. And we're competitive, we're professional athletes. Like
there's a monster that comes out in all of us,
you know, But I think you just understand that what
happens there is there and then like we leave it,
we leave it there, and then you can be friends
again when I see you in the moment.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
A lot of people needed to figure that out with
the W last year, a lot of new viewers that
didn't quite understand that y'all were professional athletes doing your thing.
We are so looking forward to the one on one tournament,
and I'm wondering how much trash talk is going on
leading up to it, because for me, like you know,
when you're entering something like that, you're like, oh yeah,
my knee kind of hurts, Like you're putting out those
excuses just in case you don't play as well as
(27:43):
you want, but you're also kind of talking some smack
to try to get people afraid of facing you, Like,
do people seem nervous or excited.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Or there's a big cash bonus. So trash talk has
already commenced, right, two hundred racks. I'm I'm doing what
I need to do to win that.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
Right.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
We even have enter teams trash talk. Courtny is already
trying to trash talk me.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
Amazing. Who's got the biggest mouth?
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Is it?
Speaker 2 (28:05):
Courtney?
Speaker 5 (28:06):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Courney Williams around here somewhere.
Speaker 1 (28:09):
Yes, yeah, Oh my gosh, I can't even imagine, Like
it's gonna be fascinating to see, Like is it a
fast moving big is it a guard with sick handles
who can avoid getting blocked?
Speaker 2 (28:21):
Like how much mobility come into play?
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Like this is like the stuff of dreams for bar arguments,
to actually get to see all the best players play
against each other.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Yeah, we get to settle the conversation that people are
having hypothetically, you know, every day.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Yeah. Fun, you mentioned Courtney Williams.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
Your lunar Owls roster is crushing it, Skyler digg and Smith,
Alicia Gray, Shakira Austin, Cameron Brink of course the cheerleader
for the squad.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
What's making you guys?
Speaker 1 (28:46):
Go?
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Why are you so good?
Speaker 4 (28:48):
I think we just have a lot of competitors and
people who gel well, we have taken this like, I mean,
we just take it really seriously, Like we are in
the weight room together every day, We're doing treatment every day,
taking care of our bodies when we show up to practice,
like we're there to get better. So I just think
we have really competitive people on our team who want
to win and it's been really fun. We jell really
well together. Our chemistry has been great. From the beginning.
(29:11):
We played a lot, even from our first day of
training camp. We were playing like quarters to get that
chemistry up. So we worked hard to do it and
it's been really fun to do with this group.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Yeah, it's cool.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
You and Courtney have the Links connection, You and Skyler
have the Olympic connection. How did you get the other
folks to feel as connected?
Speaker 4 (29:28):
I played with Alisha too, just through USA. I think
the only person I hadn't was Shakira. But I think
we just don't have any egos on our team either,
Like everyone is there to learn from each other.
Speaker 2 (29:40):
You just said that about Courtney Williams. I want you
to hear what you just She doesn't know.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
Courtney's really good. She talks her talk, but she's like, yeah,
she's pretty good with it, and she knows that she's
in the wrong or whatever it is. Yeah, but yeah,
we just don't have egos in that way where everyone
is equally there to teach each other and to learn
from each other, which you don't get all the time.
So I think that's what has also allowed us to
joe really well. Is there's no person who's trying to
(30:07):
be big dog that's you know, saying I need to
get the most shots. We're really genuinely there for the
team and if I have a good shot, I'm going
to pass it up for a great shot for you.
And so that mentality has allowed us to play really well.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
That's awesome. Okay, last question for you.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Because we had your husband Alex on the show to
give us an unrivaled one oh one get us all
prep for the league, we were thinking about you guys
working together. I mean, obviously you work together on skills
and everything else. He's a great trainer, but now you're
creating this league. What did you butt heads about? Was
there anything that you really disagreed on or that you
had to convince him or he had to convince you.
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Not really, I feel like we're pretty in sync with everything.
I feel like we see the game the same way,
and I definitely concede to him a lot on the
business side, like the way that he sees business like.
He's really great at that part. So if anything, I
feel like it would be something on the player side
where I feel like I know more. But I don't
think we've butted heads on anything yet. That's pretty good
(31:00):
in the future, but that's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
What about me, La? Are you allowing her to give
her insight and two cents on everything?
Speaker 4 (31:06):
If I did that, there would be everywhere, no bedtimes
and fruit around every corner.
Speaker 2 (31:11):
Okay, well, expansion next year, Team Blue.
Speaker 4 (31:14):
Yeah, yeah, you will sell a lot.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
Of merch if you can get that trademark. We would
thank you so much for taking the time. I know
you're so busy. We're such big fans over here, so
thanks for coming on.
Speaker 4 (31:23):
Yeah, I appreciate it. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Thanks again to Fee for joining us. We got to
take another break when we come back. Want to you
Slices went above and beyond. You even made producer Alex
a little emotional stick around. Welcome back Slices. Hey, you
want to see producer Alex tear up while? You could
(31:50):
send her a video of lost pets reuniting with their owners.
Or you could watch or listen to an episode of
Anderson Cooper's podcast All There Is About grief, or for
a different kind of tears. You could make a spreadsheet,
a glorious spreadsheet like Super Slice Aaron Raw did. Aaron
made a spreadsheet with all the good Game with Sarah
(32:10):
Spain recommendations, a tab for the books we've discussed, a
tab for the podcast we've shouted out, one for other
media like films and essays that we've suggested, and even
a tab for the merch companies that we've recommended. This
beauty of a Google doc even less the episode number
where you can find the discussion and the links to
the content that we included in the show notes that day.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
Chef's Kiss Aaron standing ovation over here. This is incredible.
This is just unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
Yeah, like honestly, literal tears. Literal tears, and folks, you
know what she wasn't done. She also made a spreadsheet
for the major North American women's sports leagues, including the
season in which they play, links to the team site,
social accounts, where to watch, and even some unique rules
for each league. She's an organized queen, you know, and
(33:00):
wouldn't love it more. And of course we'll put the
links to both of those docs in the show notes.
We'll book mark them and use them. Folks, she did
all that beautiful work and now we don't have to
someone get Alex a tissue. 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.
Tell us your biggest winners from WNBA Free Agency. Maybe
(33:20):
Dja and Melissa getting to play together.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
And who are the losers?
Speaker 1 (33:25):
I mean, who's organizing the flower delivery for Marina Maybrey.
She just learned how to season food and she's got
no one to cook for. All our friends have left town.
We want to hear your biggest takeaways to all the
w Free Agency news, so send them in. Also, we
told you about those annual play for k games. Well,
if you want to help, you can donate at kyou
dot com.
Speaker 2 (33:44):
We'll put the link in our show notes. We always
love to hear from you.
Speaker 1 (33:47):
To hit us up on email, good game at wondermedianetwork
dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven
two two oh four fifty seventy And y'all, I'm not
saying this for my health, it really helps us.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
If you subscribe, rate and review, go five stars, write
a review, tell us you love us. It's super easy watch.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Women athletes making enough green to treat their parents. Rating
five out of five. Big Old Bag is a dope
review on last week's episode of Unapologetically Angel skystar Angel
Rees surprised her mom with the birthday cake and so
much more.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Take a lesson.
Speaker 5 (34:22):
What's your birthday today?
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (34:24):
And for your birthday today? Oh wow, well this is
your cake.
Speaker 5 (34:28):
You said that if your mortgage was paid off that
you will retire or you can pick if you want
to work still. So your mortgage today has been paid.
See you drop in a cake today. Your mortgage has
been paid. You ain't gonna worry about your mortgage no more.
And if you want to still work and keep yourself,
if you want to keep yourself busy, you can keep
(34:49):
yourself busy. But Jammel has a handle. Shout out to
Jamel to making it happen Anda, of course. But your
mortgage is paid and you don't gotta work. You don't
have to work anymore. Yes, yes, And when I went
to Chicago this year, actually I'm getting a house, y'all.
You can come stay with me whenever you want to,
so you jesus okay, happy by day.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
We are so used to seeing videos of dudes buying
their folks cars and houses and taking care of all
the people that help them reach the top. It is
incredible and incredibly overdue getting to see the world's best
women athletes make enough money playing their sport to do
the same. Shout out Angel and shout out to her mama.
Also Angel aka Big Angel, who's in the University of
(35:35):
Maryland at Baltimore County Hall of Fame and played pro
ball in Luxembourg. Those hoops genes clearly do and work.
Now it's your turn rate and review. Thanks for listening.
See you tomorrow when Voice in Sports Steph Strack and
student athlete Maggie Monson join us to talk about a
big name school getting called out for Title nine violations
and the push for better compliance on Capitol Hill. Good Game, Fee,
(35:58):
Good Game, Beyonce, saw that Cowboy Carter Tour announcement and
you Puck Satawani Phil six more weeks of Winter My Ass.
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports
production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You
can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network,
(36:20):
our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones. Our executive
producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, and Emily Rudder.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez and Grace Lynch.
Speaker 1 (36:30):
Our associate producer is Lucy Jones and I'm Your host
Sarah Spain
Host
Sarah Spain
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