December 25, 2024 • 61 mins
The first installment of the Top 15 Moments in Women’s Basketball for 2024 is here. Khristina is joined by the most poppin group chat in all of sports, the Brunch Crew! Terrika Foster-Brasby, Kevin "Kdot" Lewis, B. Terrell, Myles Ehrlich, and Owen Pence all join the show to break down the biggest year in women's b-ball yet.
Want more women’s basketball scoop? Follow the show on Instagram @ICYMIwithKW and X @ICYMIwithKW and for more on Khristina follow her on Instagram @khristinawilliams
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CREDITS
Executive Producers:
Nikki Ettore
Jessie Katz
Tyler Klang
Jonathan Strickland
Producer:
Mike Coscarelli
Producer & Editor:
Tari Harrison
Host:
Khristina Williams
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment. Welcome back to another episode of In Case
You Missed It with Christina Williams and happy holidays to everyone.
(00:21):
I thought to cap off the year, I'd get some
of my favorite people together to help me count down
some of the top moments of the twenty twenty four
women's basketball year. Because it's been such a huge year
in women's basketball, So joining me to countdown the top
(00:43):
fifteen moments of the year. It's the brunch grew. I
got my girl, Treka Foster brisby my boy k Dot
from the ninety four fifty b Terrell Miles, Rlick, and
Owen Pence. Sit tight, y'all because you are in for
an amazing ride with my crazy friends and also media
(01:06):
appears and I'm super excited about this. So without further ado,
here's the top fifteen moments in women's basketball of twenty
twenty four.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Number fifteen, the rise in shoe endorsement deals.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
The rise in WNBA's shoe endorsement deals marks a transformative
shift and the visibility and marketability of women's basketball, with
players securing record breaking contracts that rival those in major sports.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
From Caitlin Clark's.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Roundbreaking twenty eight million dollar eight year Nike signature shoe
deal the most lucrative and women's basketball history, to Asia
Wilson's upcoming Nike release in twenty twenty five, the trend
is redefining the financial landscape for female athletes. Players like
Sabrini on Escu and Branda Stewart have turned their partnerships
with global brands into major success, with Jonescu's Nike line
(01:59):
seeing a time growth and Stewart's leading the charge for Puma. Meanwhile,
new players are making waves too, with Rakia Jackson becoming
the first WNBA player to sign with Sketchers and Angel
Rees securing a signature shoe deal with Reebok. As shoe
deals become a new frontier for WNBA players, they're not
just earning endorsement dollars, They're building legacies that influence both
(02:23):
the sport and the broader world of passion and culture.
So Brandon, Asia Wilson and Nike announced that she would
get her new shoe debuting next bringing also an apparel collection.
I know you right, hard for your girl, Asia Wilson,
So what was your reaction when you heard that.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
I was excited and all I could say was, it
was about time, Like this has been someone who has
consistently been at the top of the game for years
and now to finally, finally, I guess get what many
have felt for so long that has been doing to her.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
It was exciting.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
So I can't wait about what six months away from
its its debut. So I'm excited to see it and
just excited to see all the signings of everyone. You know,
of course women's sports with their shoe deals.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I absolutely love that she just let people talk when
the announcement was made that Caitlin Clark was getting a
signature shoe.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
She knew that her project was already in the works
and she just let everyone talk.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
And then when the announcement happened, she was just like,
I popped out and I'm showing y'all that you know,
I'm getting one too.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I thought that was very strategic, very clever.
Speaker 6 (03:38):
And not only that, but we were able to she
was able to show us that she had been wearing
some merch with the logo and Dawn was debuting stuff
the rollout has been really fun, and it just kind
of shows the creative control that Asia has in that
entire process, which is how signature shoes really should go.
So I love that for her. It's not just that
she's getting a shoe. It's not just a all right,
(03:59):
everyone else got one, now it's time for Asia to
get one. She really has been involved in the process
for a long time and it's coming and it's going
to be fantastic. I'm just so excited about what it's
going to look like. By the time we see the
shoe itself.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
I don't care what it looks like. I'm buying it.
Speaker 7 (04:14):
I'm buying it too.
Speaker 8 (04:15):
But I also will say, like, I think we have
to be completely honest and transparent about what actually popped off. Right,
We're not going to say we can just let Asia
just was quiet. No, Nike had played in her face
for a very long time, and because they played in
her face for a very long time, when we start
seeing all these other female athletes come out with shoes,
we're like, bro, what is going on? So, yeah, it
was a secret that she knew, but people were warranted
(04:37):
for the questions that they had surrounding why she had
not had a shoe deal yet, and we're going off
and going hard the way that they had been. So
we're excited about her shoe deal and very excited about
all these women who are really making waves with their
own shoe deals and things and their player editions and
things like that. But we got to keep it a book,
like Nike played in her face for a very long time,
(04:59):
and a lot of people were warranted in the feelings
that they had about her not yet having a shoe.
Speaker 6 (05:04):
I think it's been great to see how much people
across basketball have embraced sab sneakers, and it's not just
because of that being the trendy pick, but it's because
they're very comfortable and because they have all these color ways,
and seeing the Nike for you for the Sabrina shoes,
I think also let people customize to a point that
you really can't with so many of these other sneakers,
(05:26):
So that also helped the growth.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
CB sipping his tea super hard. I think the Sabrina
two's are dope.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Ellie was one of the first first mascot in sports
history to have do we call it a pe or
a custom accustom shoe, but That's another thing. There's a
difference between player exclusives and signature shoes. I think that
that's important to point in note to fans that there's
a complete different page. Beckers this year was announced with Nike,
(05:58):
the first nil athlete you get a player exclusive, and
so when you learn the difference between the two, I
think that it helps the situation. But I love that,
you know, these women athletes are finally getting what they're
what they deserve. The ki At Jackson is the first
WNBA athlete to sign with Sketchers. Angel Reese's reported to
get a signature shoe with Reebok in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Sick Colson, who.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Is may not be as big of a name when
we look at, you know, the other WNBA athletes who
are getting these signature shoes in comparison, but she's a
two time WNBA champion and she has to deal with
creative control. So lots of movement within the w and
the connection and intersection of fashion and culture.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Number fourteen Candace Parker announced retirement.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Candace Parker, one of the most iconic and influential figures
in women's basketball, has announced her retirement, bringing an end
to a legendary career that has spanned over fifteen seasons.
Known for her versatility, leadership, and dominance on both ends
of the court, Parker has been a trailblazer for the WNBA,
winning two MVP Awards, two WNBA Championships, and earning countless
(07:11):
All Star in all WNBA honors. Her impact reached beyond
the hardwood as she became a vocal advocate for gender
equality and paved the way for the future generations of
women in sports. From her days as a college phenom
at Tennessee to her time with the Los Angeles Sparks
in Chicago, Sky Parker's legacy is cemented not only in
(07:32):
her accolades, but in cultural shift she helped create for
women's basketball. As she steps away from the game, Parker
leaves behind an unparalleled legacy that has inspired fans and
athletes alike, securing her place as one of the sport's
greatest ever players. All right, so where were you guys
(07:52):
when Kendas Parker's retirement was announced?
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Because my heart broke in a million pieces moment.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
Oh do.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
See good?
Speaker 6 (08:08):
Oh my god, Well, Christina, I know where you were.
We were in the same place. We were at Liberty
training camp when this happened.
Speaker 7 (08:18):
In fact, I think, I.
Speaker 6 (08:21):
Oh, you might have been running. You might have been
on time for that.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
One of y'all asked, Okay, asked me, right?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I forgot that I was That was me? No, Okay,
I was there.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
You were there.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Like a double take or something when y'all said it
or whatever, and she was like, wait what something like.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Who asked the question?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I'm pretty sure that I put it out, but anyways,
needed there there or here. I started watching basketball because
the canvas Parker. So like, when her retirement was announced,
it was very shocking because I never thought that I
would see the day that one of my favorite basketball
players ever would retire. But also, like from a human level,
(09:07):
I understood why she wanted to do it. She always
says she never wanted to cheat the game, and we
know that she was dealing with a foot injury for
the last year or so, and what she set her
standard to in terms of she didn't want to play,
just to play. Everything was intentional and so I respected it.
(09:27):
But man, my heart broken a million pieces when she
announced her retirement.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
Don't want to cheat the game. Let's sit with that.
Don't want to cheat the game.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Amen.
Speaker 5 (09:39):
Amen, I'm just gonna play that.
Speaker 8 (09:41):
I'm gonna still still the only rookie to drop forty
in a game, y'all.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Like she's the only rookie to be named MVP.
Speaker 8 (09:49):
Like she was rookie of one year and the year
in the same Like she's one of one. Honestly, I'm
not gonna tell my age, because she definitely wasn't playing
when I first started watching the WNBA, so as the
oldest one on the podcast right now, I'm gonna just
let that lie. However, I was not surprised at her
(10:10):
decision to retire. We had, you know, all of us
cover this game extensively, and we knew the challenges that
she had been going through medically, and we also knew
that she had gotten to a point where she was like,
you know, my daughter's getting older. I want to be
there for her. I want to be able to support
her the way that she supported me throughout the entirety
of my career. So I think it was very sensible
(10:34):
her coming to that conclusion. I think the shock of
it was just the timing and how none of us
who truly appreciate Candace had an opportunity to truly celebrate
Candace in her final season the way she deserved to
be celebrated. And I very much put an emphasis on
those of us who truly appreciate Candace, because there has
(10:54):
absolutely been throughout the course of her career folks who
have not appreciated the go They have not given her
the flowers, including some of her peers. Yeah, and so
I appreciate her for going out on her terms and
going out the way that she did because I don't
think that Kandace wanted fake love from people. I don't
think that she deserved fake love from people. So as
(11:16):
heartbreaking as it was for those of us who loved her,
it made perfect sense for her to say it is
what it is.
Speaker 6 (11:22):
I do think she won two more championships after that
Athletic poll called her from her peers called her most overrated,
So that goes to show you that Candace did not
let that go without taking notice.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
And am the only player in league history to win
three championships on three different teams. Hello, And I feel
like when we talk about women's basketball and we look
at the stats, she's a lot of stats that always
say since Candace Parker, so she is the standard when
we talk about the greatest in women's basketball, and we
talk about Mount Rushmore, She's right up there. I think
(11:55):
that the closure for me was being able to attend
her party. Yes, starting Phoenix this past year. That was like,
oh my God, like this is really happening. It was
kind of like a high moment for just being in
this space and being able to cover Candace and growing
up a fan of Candace when she played at Tennessee
(12:16):
for pat Summit. Just all the different milestones she had,
even in the McDonald's All American Game, winning the Dunk Contest,
just the standards she set for women's basketball, breaking so
many different barriers.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Just seeing her at the you know, the last the
party I was.
Speaker 5 (12:35):
I still got my pillow.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
We were told we could take them because she paid
for her Hello.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
I left mine in the hotel.
Speaker 7 (12:45):
Doing the typical thing.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Was out there, was out.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
There in her element, wrapping to Jay Z.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
It was like ship, like the curtains are really closing,
but also it's opening up for the next generation and
uh women athletes, And so I think that's Jobe. And
now she's the president of women's basketball at Adidas, so
you already know she's about to change the game from
the front office.
Speaker 7 (13:11):
Now, a part of.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Me did think that she was going to come back
a little bit because I always think about talking about
the MNBA. But I remember after six when the Miami
Heat won, so they were unsuccessful to defend their title
that next year, and Alonzo Morning said something along the
lines of I came back to defend my title, you know,
because he was at he was at the he was
(13:33):
close to the end of his career. He was like,
I came back to defend my title. But I didn't
like how he defended it. So he was going to
retire if they had successfully defended it, but because they didn't,
he decided to come back to try again. And I
was like, what if Cannis does something like that? And
she did it, and I was like, oh, well it really.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Was but no, but for what this word, Cannis Parker
is one of the greatest to ever do it, so
I think she went out on a good way. Three
time WBA Champion, she played sixteen years, number one overall
pick two thousand and eight, seven times WNBA All Star,
only player to win Rookie of the Year and WNBA
MVP in the same season.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
She won two Olympic.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Gold medals and a lot of people joke about the
curse of Cannas Parker.
Speaker 9 (14:20):
All that it's still going.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
So so it is what it is. P shout out
to Kandas Parker, thank you for not cheating the game
and just for everything that you gave to the game
of basketball. The countdown continues after this break, so don't
go anywhere more of in case you missed it with
Christina Williams when we.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Get back.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Number thirteen. WNBA coaching and front office carousel.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
The twenty twenty four NBA season saw a whirlwind of
movement and coaching in front office positions, signaling a new
era of leadership and change across the WNBA. In addition
to coaching changes, several teams revamped their front office operations,
bringing in fresh perspectives and experience executives to help reshape
the future of the league.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
As teams retool.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
For the future, the coaching and front office shakeups reflect
a broader shift toward growth and competitiveness in the WNBA,
setting the stage for an exciting new chapter in the
league's evolution.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
But who are the winners and who are the losers?
Speaker 1 (15:37):
In the postseason, there's been a lots of movement in
the WNBA space, lots of firings and hirings. Teresa Weatherspoon
was the one that shocked the world, right, she didn't
even she got a full season with the Chicago's guy
and then got fired. And you know, for what it's worth,
they did make a really really good hire in Friend
to the Show, Tyler Marsh, which team do you think
(16:01):
were winners and losers in the off season? We know
that some teams have yet to announce.
Speaker 8 (16:05):
Their Connecticut how we catching a stray?
Speaker 5 (16:09):
What you mean losers?
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Loseers because they should have bagged and kept Stephanie locked in.
And now I think that is gonna have a major
ripple effect and they're gonna lose a lot of people.
And they're by they were always maids years could be
They're gonna be a little flower girls. They no longer
(16:33):
Brismians because they're gonna lose a lot of people. Congrats, Okay, fast.
Speaker 8 (16:38):
Of all, First of all, you need to fall back
because number one, you up in here talking junk because
of how you feel about where the coach of Connecticut
formerly actually ended up.
Speaker 7 (16:49):
So here's that.
Speaker 8 (16:50):
And let me just also say for the record, I
saw the little video that the Indiana Fever put out
with Kaitlyn working with Keith and Austin and Stephanie, and
I was just I ain't gonna lie. I felt a
little ball in the back of my throat because I
was like, Oh, that's my whole coaching staff fast in Indiana.
Speaker 7 (17:10):
They are about to be fired right now.
Speaker 8 (17:12):
But anyway, I don't think Connecticut is a loser because
I also don't have enough evidence on a WNBA side
of how the new coach is actually going to perform.
Speaker 7 (17:23):
We only know.
Speaker 8 (17:24):
About his activities as an international coach and internationally. We
know the basketball is a little bit different. It's a
little bit more physical, and that actually plays into the
style of a few people who currently are still with
Connecticut who we don't know what their decision is going
to be, so they might not be the losers.
Speaker 7 (17:41):
The losers to me for real, for.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
Real, got y'all even named the coach. See that's how good,
that's how much they're losing. Because I forgot they brought
him from over the water.
Speaker 8 (17:52):
I wish I could see my face right now. That's
why I will taught to be it's right. That's why
I don't talk to be it's right here.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Because who is the group chat?
Speaker 8 (18:01):
This is why, this is, this is why on top
to be the losers for real, in my opinion, is
Washington right now?
Speaker 5 (18:09):
Okay, I can give you.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
Washington always a loser, but it's a sexy city, so
it's always going to be better to be in DC
than Connecticut.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Are they really losers because they fired Eric Tebow.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Because they went to an expansion draft without having a
GM or a coach and the exactly the whole protection
system was just up in the air. They should not
have lost Julie in that expansion draft, and it's because
right now they are just a ship without a captain.
So I would not want to be betting on that future.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
Or propeller or sale or engine. That dang it is
the Titanic.
Speaker 9 (18:45):
Total void of leadership. I think it's a win to
fire to fire baby Tebow, but it's uh, They've got
no plan and it's embarrassing.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
I think that landing Tyler Marsh and especially seeing what
Tyler Marsh has done with the Aces, especially looking at
what he did specifically with Jackie Young in her development,
is the most exciting part of the next stage of
what we see from Angel Reese for me and Camilla too,
and I know that those are Kayla but and Mikayla
(19:15):
and Mikayla. Yeah, Mick, Mick's going to be really exciting
there as well. It's just players that want to work.
There are a lot of players there that are those
gym rats that are going to be those high effort players,
and we know that he is willing to put in
the time and to help work on their games too.
So while it was really tough to see Teaspoon, especially
because this league has such a problem with moving on
(19:37):
so quickly from especially from black women, and for Tea
Spoon to get a year in a in a just
a franchise that was completely complete upheaval. They had just
traded call Away, they had had no picks after James
Wade left and we're just trying to recoup stuff. So
for her to only get a year and then get
fired did not sit right. But to be able to
get Tyler Marsh makes sense when you're looking at it
(20:00):
outside of the context the larger context of what that
means for where the league is at. And I think
that he's a really good fit for the personnel that
are already there.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Shout out to Tyler.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Everybody knows you know, that's that's a guy who definitely
showed me love from the very first day that I'm
with Vegas. I'm really excited for him to see what
he does in Chicago. Another big thing for me though,
in this coaching cycle, were two college coaches leaving to
come to the W after their college seasons had already started,
with Lynn Roberts and Carls Mesco like what they probably
(20:30):
coach each maybe five or six games already, and then
they were like, all right, peace out, ladies and gentlemen,
I'm going to the big league.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
So that was shocking to me.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
And yeah, the reverse, Nikki Colin, like, these are coaches
who come into the pro game with a reputation of
a lot of threes. We know that that's where the
NBA has gone recently. The W there are there have
been some players over the years who can definitely shoot
(20:59):
it at a high volume. But I'm interested to see
what it looks like for their their respective teams.
Speaker 5 (21:05):
The Atlanta Dream who will be in the finals this year?
I think this is the year.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Year they are not going to the final?
Speaker 6 (21:12):
All right, can I Hammer be down on naming a
couple of players that like to shoot the three from
far out? Who are a couple that that you've noticed.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
There are a lot of players on different teams. I
won't name anyone specifically. Arika can shoot from deep, Kennedy
can shoot from deep.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
D t can shoot from deep. What's up?
Speaker 6 (21:37):
What else from?
Speaker 5 (21:41):
I will say?
Speaker 1 (21:44):
I will say that the Liver Roberts hiring was very
shocking to me considering the players that they have on
their roster who are not necessarily three point shooters. So
if the Sparks are one going to use free agency
to use some of their assets to trade off and
get some outside shooting, like, I don't know how these
(22:08):
players are going to fit in that system, but obviously
you're going to build your roster in the future around
the rikiat Jackson's and Camera bring.
Speaker 8 (22:15):
I think the shock that you mentioned about college coaches
leaving in their season to come to the W just
more speaks to the way the W coaching has become
a more desirable league. For a long time, it kind
of felt like the WNBA coaching was a stepping stone
to do something different, and I feel like the culture
is shifting now to where people are starting to respect
(22:37):
that coaching in the w is not a stepping stone.
And I would go so far as to say that
Becky Hammond kind of did this with Mark Davis the
way that she was, you know, the first to get
that million dollar contract. It really what it did to
me would show that we value this position in this
league and we're willing to pay for that and other
programs and other programs, excuse me. Other teams are starting
(22:59):
in front offices are starting to realize that you have
to value the coach the same way the players expect
to be valued to and oftentimes where a player decides
to play it can often depend on who's coaching, what
their system is like, etc. So I just think to
your point that it is now a much more desirable
position to coach in the WNBA than it had been
(23:22):
perceived in years past.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Number twelve WNBA team investigations.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
The WNBA is currently navigating a series of investigations into
several teams, adding a layer of complexity to an already
transformative season as the league continues to grow in prominence.
These investigations, ranging from front office disputes to alleged misconduct,
have drawn attention to the internal workings of some franchises.
(23:51):
While specifics remain under wraps, the inquiries are raising important
questions about team culture, management and the treatment of players
league striving for greater visibility and respect. How these investigations
unfold could have long term implications both.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
On and off the court.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
As a WNBA works to maintain its integrity and commitment
to player welfare, these ongoing investigations remind us that even
the most successful leagues must confront their challenges and continue evolving.
So this has been a huge year for the WNBA
for more reasons than one, and namely so many investigations
(24:33):
being cracked down on between different organizations. The Las Vegas
Aces was sued this year by former player Dierka Hanby,
who's also a friend to this show, and she alleged
that she was subject to repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination
and retaliation from the Aces, which led to her trade
(24:54):
in twenty twenty three from the Aces to the Sparks.
And she also alleged that the league failed to proper
investigate her issue. So we know that earlier this year
she filed the complaint with the EEOC. They gave her
a right to sue, and in August, the news broke
that de Handby was filing a federal lawsuit against the
(25:14):
w NBA and her former team, the Las Vegas Aces.
And September of this year, also the WNBA and Aces
filed the motion to dismiss the lawsuit, saying that one,
she didn't have a standing to sue the league because
she's technically not an employee of the w NBA, and
they also disputed her claim that they failed to investigate
(25:35):
it properly. The Aces argue that she failed to provide
evidence of retaliation for discrimination. Obviously, this is still an
ongoing case, but this is something that's kind of staying
the league for the last year, I.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Want to say.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
But with the new CBA opt out, you know, Tierka,
she came on the show. She talked about what she
hoped the protection would be moving forward for athletes, to
our parents and that sort of thing.
Speaker 10 (26:07):
Obviously, you know, we've made a lot of progress in
the past, and we're going to contain any progress because
that's just what this thing is about, you know, progressing.
But overall, outside of mothers, I think there just needs
to be better protection for players in general. You know,
there needs to be I guess a language of where
players shouldn't still scared to speak up about the things
(26:29):
that are happening to them and fear that they're going
to lose their jobs. Like I said, outside of my situation,
but I think, yeah, in general, just better player protection.
Speaker 6 (26:41):
All of us are going to be very careful here
because I think we have to be forward with wanting
the best for Deerica, for all of the athletes in
this league, and especially especially the parents, because this has
been an issue with the WNBA for a very long
time that they thought that they were addressing with the
with the last CBA, and obviously it didn't do enough.
And there's I think with any instance like this, it's
(27:04):
going to be a lot of hearsay, and it's often
the player that's a singular person going up against a
franchise is kind of this David versu Goliath thing. And
I hope that Deerica didn't feel abandoned by all of
her teammates that had been put into a really difficult
position where they had to then compromise their own their
(27:28):
integrity and their friendships with their careers. So it was
a really hard thing to see play out and it's
a really upsetting thing to see play out so publicly,
and that Deerica felt like she had to go that route.
These players are not feeling like they're being heard or
they're being treated in a way that they should and
(27:49):
at the end of the day, they are the product.
And that's what they said in Players Association statements is
that there is no WNBA without its athlete. So it's
really important for them to feel safe in that environment,
and de Erica very clearly did not.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
I just want protection for everyone. I want everyone to
feel like they're valued at work. I want everyone to
feel as if their concerns matter. They covered a lot
of ground in regards to the last CBA negotiation, so
hopefully over the past what has been four years since
the last going on five years since the last CBA
twenty twenty, right, yeah, right before the bubble, hopefully people
(28:29):
took from that what worked, what didn't work, and they
make the necessary adjustments going forward. Hopefully they've had time
to think of other things that they need because of experiences.
Experience can be your best teacher. So if you didn't
know you needed something, you probably would have never brought
it up. So going forward, hopefully they read the CBA
to know what's going on, because we know the players
(28:49):
have mentioned that they didn't really know everything that was
in the CBA.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
That's neither here nor there.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
But hopefully going forward they're able to really do a
deep dive on the things that they think of and
they can have some kind of I guess, foresight into
really uncovering some needs that, even if they don't need
it right now, what they could potentially need in the future.
That way, things like this that have happened over the
past year or so will hopefully not be a problem
(29:13):
any longer.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
But I just want everybody to have fun.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
In addition to deer Can Hanby's lossing against the Las
Vegas Aces, the league also earlier this year launched an
investigation into the Las Vegas Aces one hundred thousand dollars
player marketing deals with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
The gist of that investigation was, did ownership and the
(29:40):
team find a way to circumvent the CVA A CBA
sally capitles And so this is still an ongoing investigation,
but I think that the terms of this marketing deal
sounds very.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Closely to nil y'all. See, you got me so funny
right now?
Speaker 4 (29:58):
People just some haters and don't get mad because they
city supporting them.
Speaker 5 (30:03):
Like, step your cookies up, Step your cookies up.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
So when you break down the deal in itself and
its entirety, right, it's a pro rated deal for the
members of the Las Vegas Aces. Obviously, if a player
were to be waived or cut for the team, they
no longer benefit from this taking.
Speaker 5 (30:20):
An expansion draft give us back our money cake.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
So, according to the reports, within this deal, the players
had to appear in three public announcements a year. The
players had to do a photo shoot an interview for
content on visit Las Vegas dot com. They had to
wear custom branded apparel for at least one pregame arrival,
and they had to post two social media posts promoting
(30:43):
Las Vegas. Now The Aces, for what it's worth, is
the team of the city. When you go to Las Vegas,
Las Vegas, you think of the Aces. They are two
time WNBA champions. So this is a marketing deal that
just makes sense. And so I guess where the investigation
comes on this. Did the team to have a hand
(31:04):
in negotiating this deal? That would kind of like be
a violation of the CBA.
Speaker 8 (31:11):
I'm not buying it. I'm not buying it. I'm gonna
tell you why I'm not buying it. I'm not buying
it because if Adida asked every single one of these
athletes to do this exact same thing, no one has
an investigation. If Nike asked every single one of these
athletes to do the exact same things, there's no investigation.
The WNBA has a similar deal with their player ambassadors,
where they go out and promote the league and they
get paid for it, and nobody launches an investigation. You're
(31:35):
mad because Las Vegas and Mark Davis have found a
way to partner that doesn't infringe upon what the CBA
actually said. I had to stop myself because I almost
got two group chat friendly and started saying words I
probably shouldn't say on the podcast. But at the end
of the day, it feels like somebody specifically went out
to try to find something about this, to try to
(31:58):
make more of it than what it actually should have been.
Speaker 7 (32:01):
These players deserve this.
Speaker 8 (32:03):
Type of sponsorship, and quite honestly, if it does in
some way present a loophole in the CBA, who cares
that's what people do, That's why they're there. The whole
point is to find ways for these players to get
paid and to get the money that they deserve. And
if they're not going to be able to get that
through actual compensation from their salaries, who cares If the
(32:23):
city sponsors them. I wish somebody would sponsor me. Can
the city of Hartford sponsor me? I will pop out
on social media and do And the thing I also
think is important is that none of these things that
they're being asked to do actually requires them to play basketball.
And if I'm not mistaken, the actual CBA is saying
that they can't get paid for other actual basketball services.
Speaker 7 (32:46):
These are not basketball services.
Speaker 8 (32:48):
So I am not understanding why this investigation even exists
without coming to the conclusion that there was someone with
an ulterior motive who wanted to find reason to question
why these players in this franchise, which is already one
of the most popular while also being the youngest franchise
well until Golden State, but being the youngest franchise in
(33:10):
the WNBA, and yet one of the most successful franchises
in the WNBA, and dare I say one of the
most black cultural presents exactly THEBA. Why all of a
sudden does this need to be an investigation against them.
It's like the red flags are right there. We can
see what the agenda is. Let's acknowledge that and tackle that.
Speaker 6 (33:32):
If you want to look at this as a loophole,
then the problem is that eleven teams reacted by saying
this is doing wrong by our competitive advantage and not saying, oh,
this is ways that we can get our players played
that part or backwards that part players paid. So I
think that that was the problem, is that this is
everyone should be looking for compensation. And we've seen this
(33:55):
in terms of just growth of the WNBA in total.
Is that there are some organizations that are trying to
push that progress forward, that are trying to make the
nicest facilities, that are trying to invest money of their
own and they're hitting these paywalls basically because there are
some ownership groups that are not willing to put up
that level of investment. And that's what the conversation is.
(34:18):
It's people that are crying poor and that they're using
the aces as an example, but all they're doing. All
that city did was they showed love to their players
to their champions and that everyone else should just follow
that example.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
All right, y'all, we're going to take a quick break,
so stay with us. We have more top moments from
twenty twenty four when we get back, so say.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Two number eleven. WNBA media coverage.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Despite the WNBA's rapid growth and increased visibility, it's news
coverage still occasionally falls victim to awkward in misinformed moments
that highlight the ongoing tone depth commentary, to overlook storylines.
The league experienced its fair share of gafs that not
only failed to do justice to the athletes, but missed
(35:14):
opportunities for meaningful storytelling. Whether it's a lack of understanding
about the sport, mispronunciation of players' names, or an emphasis
on irrelevant personal details instead of the athletes accomplishments, these
awkward moments serve as reminders of the work still needed
to elevate the league to its rightful place in the
sports world. As the WNBA continues to grow, the hope
(35:37):
is that such missteps will become less frequent, paving the
way for coverage that truly reflects the talent, impact, and
dedication to its players. I don't know if y'all remember,
but when the season started, there was a lot of
controversy surrounding Indie Star columnists Reg Doyle. He was banned
(35:58):
from covering the Indiana fever in person and was suspended
two weeks after an awkward interaction with Caitlyn Clark.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
In a media availability.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
He did like a heart sign gesture, and he told her,
you know, I like that you're here, Start doing that
to me and we'll get along fine.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Now, shit went crazy when he did that.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
I mean, I felt like it was awkward because leading
up to the season launching one, there was media one
oh one sessions between certain media peers like myself and
teams where you know, we kind of laid down the
expectations for the season, and this was something that the
league did and it's implemented in the league policy. And two,
(36:46):
I just felt like it sent everybody back and set
everybody back.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
From him doing that and just making it awkward.
Speaker 7 (36:52):
I think most of us were on. Were we all on?
Speaker 8 (36:54):
Because I was definitely on when he did that, and
I was just like, matter of fact, that group chat
was like, wait, what just happened?
Speaker 11 (37:02):
I think everybody did the what just happened?
Speaker 8 (37:05):
This was probably the most love hated season I've ever
had as a media member of the WNBA. I absolutely
love the fact that this league was getting mainstream coverage,
that this league was getting more attention, that more people
were interested for whatever those reasons were. I was totally
here for it because these women deserved it, and it's
something that we had been clamoring for forever. What I
(37:28):
hated was that, in the same time, the bitter sweetness
is that those of us that have been on the
ground covering this league forever were kind of forgotten for
people like this, and you want to have mainstream outlets
making this a priority. But I was always one that
was saying, get the people who have maybe been at
(37:50):
grassroots organizations and bring them to your organization because they
already have a relationship with the players, they already know
the landscape of women's basketball. It makes the most sense.
But now you want to get the football guy. And
I know this because I am an Indianapolis coach fan,
so I am very familiar with Indianapolis media, and you
want to get the football guy to come in here
(38:11):
and throw up heart signs at Katelyn Clark. What kind
of weird shit is this? Right, like, this is what
you get. So we already knew that this was about
to be a mess from the very beginning of the
season when I tel you these weirdos did not let
us down. They did not let us down because they
just kept getting more and more weird throughout the course
of the season. And then we get to Christine and
(38:34):
damn it, what in the world is going on?
Speaker 6 (38:36):
Well before there, I just want to say that this
is an example of the Caitlyn Clark effect, because we've
all been in media long enough to know that this
shit's been going on for years. There have been weird
people acting in this space for a very long time.
And what this had was this happy amplification of the
w being the story, so it carried more weight. And
(38:57):
this is not to excuse the behavior this This behavior
is terror, but the behavior like this has gone on
in this space for a very long time where people
do not have sufficient media training or understanding or empathy
or common sense and should not be just granted access.
And that's a huge issue that the WNBA has, and
I think that a large part of it stems from
(39:18):
the fact that this is a leak that is trying
to gain a foothold, so they are like, you're going
to give us coverage, we will give you access, and
they're just not policing that at all. And this finally
got to a point this year where they had to
because there were some eyes on and you couldn't be
showing your ass the entire time. So people had to
be held accountable. And it's because that was happening to Caitlin.
(39:39):
If that had happened to I don't know, just another rookie,
if that had happened to Aliah Edwards in Washington, I
don't think this blows up. And that's a problem.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
It got to a point where the WMBPA had come
out Terry Jackson front to the show. She came out
and called out Christine Brennan and she said that you
know her behavior in line of question in two Connecticut
SunStar dj A Krrington was blatant attempt to bait a
professional athlete into participating in a narrative that is false
and designed a few racist, homophobic, and misogynistic vitriol on
(40:13):
social media, and so we know how much that impacted
not only the media, but the athletes and Kitlyn Clark.
She was named Time Athlete of the year she came
out and said, you know what, I agree with what
the PA did in calling out Christine Brennan because that
line of questioning wasn't necessary and it was it happens
(40:35):
in basketball. So I think having the PA having Kitlyn
come out to support Djna Carrington, I think that that
was huge. I mean, I know that a lot of
people question the timing of Caitlyn coming out and finally
saying something once the season was over, but I think
better late than ever, right, like to dispel some of
(40:55):
those things too.
Speaker 5 (40:56):
Late, the damage was done.
Speaker 9 (40:59):
I think there's a section of older white sports media
that thinks that it is their right to cover anything
they want and do whatever they want. And it's so tiring,
and it's so frustrating, and this is a unique space
going through a very singular moment, and their behavior was
(41:19):
inexcusable in very different ways. Let's be clear with Greg
Doyle and Christine Brennan, and then as far as Caitlin
is concerned, like the damage was done. Like Djona had
to face so much horrible stuff online in person because
of how she was treated by Christine Brennan. And then
the fact that a lot of white players in the
(41:40):
league kind of stayed silent while it was all going down,
So I was disappointed. I'm glad she said something finally,
and she's not the main character in this, but it
was disappointing to me to have to watch Djona go
through what she went through without a lot of people
coming to her defense.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Number ten New media Rights deal.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
The WNBA has reached a landmark moment with its new
media right still, marking a significant step forward in the
league's growth and visibility. This historic agreement, which includes expanded
coverage across major platforms like ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and
CBS Sports, will bring the league to millions of new
viewers and provide enhanced access to games, player features, and
(42:28):
behind the scenes content. The deal is a game changer
for the WNBA, ensuring greater exposure for its athletes and
raising the profile of women's professional basketball on a global scale.
With increased media attention and financial backing, the WNBA is
poised for an even greater success as the new right
still solidifies the league's future and opens the door for
(42:50):
more investment, viewership, and opportunities for players. So the NBA
negotiated a new media rightstal and obviously the WNBA fell
within the umbrella. It came down to a two point
two billion dollar deal over eleven years, with the option
to renegotiate at the three year mark. I think that
(43:11):
this will be huge for the WNBA when we talk
about maintaining its growth and just continuing to build on
the momentum. But I do think that the league was
sort of short change when it came to this media
right still because of the momentum and growth we've seen
this past season. The NBA is losing tons of ratings
and the WNBA has only shown growth year over year
(43:34):
when it comes to ratings, when it comes to coverage
and the storylines, and so I think that the WNBA.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
Got short change.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
They could have negotiated their own deal if the NBA
would have allowed it, but they kind of packaged it
in and got the crumbs that was left.
Speaker 3 (43:51):
I feel like in this deal.
Speaker 7 (43:52):
Keep our players home.
Speaker 8 (43:54):
I just want to say, I hope that this deal
trickles into broadcasting because.
Speaker 7 (44:00):
Those of us, those of us on the broadcast team,
will love a little increase. So I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (44:05):
Facts and I would like to be That's why I'm
moving to New York so I can join some of
these broadcasts.
Speaker 5 (44:11):
Please thank you.
Speaker 11 (44:12):
I would like to be a part of production.
Speaker 7 (44:14):
That's all I ask for all I'm saying.
Speaker 8 (44:16):
I'm just saying the sideline reporter could love a little more,
That's all I'm asking.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
I feel like this media rights they're also set up
for the CBA opt out that happened this past November,
which was a huge deal as well because the players
obviously had to compromise a lot to get the last
still done. But looking at head, it does seem like
a bright spot that this new media rights stills coming
because that means hopefully more money to the players if
(44:41):
they negotiate that in their next CBA.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
You only get what you negotiate in life.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
Everybody should be on six figure contracts, everybody. Like if
you had the majority of the teams being on six
figure contracts with their twenty five million a season, imagine
now what salary cap increases drastically. Everybody should be at
least getting six figures.
Speaker 5 (45:05):
Now, we need the GM right.
Speaker 6 (45:08):
That the max should be in the seven figures.
Speaker 4 (45:10):
We need the gms to be a little smarter because
we know shouts out to some of those gms that
abandoned their teams in the middle of the season to
join what they thought were greener pastors after winning the
championship within the past two years.
Speaker 5 (45:24):
But that's neither here nor there.
Speaker 4 (45:25):
We need these gms to not pass out the seven
figure contracts. That's gonna cripple their teams. To everybody, role
players don't need to get the seven figure contracts. Just yeah,
all right, that's.
Speaker 3 (45:36):
It, all right. I think these teams need to hire
you as their next yem Okay.
Speaker 4 (45:42):
I'm a pincher penny number nine.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Women's college basketball is on the rise.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Women's college basketball is experiencing a surge in popularity invisibility,
capturing the attention of fans across the nation like never before.
With electrifying stars like Caitlon Clark, Angel Lease, and Pagebackers
leading the charge, the game has never been more competitive
or exciting. Record breaking viewership, increased media coverage, and growing
(46:12):
sponsorships have propelled the sport to new heights, while powerhouse
programs and rising newcomers alike are pushing the boundaries of
what's possible on the court. The rising talent, dynamic storylines,
and passionate fan base are all signs that women's college
basketball is not only on the rise, it's becoming a
cultural and sporting force that is here to stay. What
(46:36):
excites you the most about this moment in women's college basketball.
Speaker 7 (46:40):
It's definitely a finally for me.
Speaker 8 (46:42):
Right now, keep in mind I have to cover men's
and women's right and this year became an ap Pope voter,
which I absolutely love and it is a lot of work,
but it is also really hard. These teams, I know, right,
but these teams are so good. But when I say finally,
understand that like for ye years, men's college basketball, while
(47:02):
women's has always been entertaining, men's college basketballs have always
been the headliner, have always been what had been put
on a pedestal, And unfortunately, due to a pandemic and
a video from Sedona Prince, people finally had that visual
because unfortunately we live in an era where people don't
believe what you say no more. You have to see
the visual, and that visual led to what ended up
(47:25):
being a huge systemic change in women's college basketball in
terms of facilities, in just terms of respect with how
they had been primed in the life for so many people,
branding everything, even the March Madness term, as I don't
know if you know listeners know this or not, but
March Madness had only been exclusively meant for men's college basketball.
(47:47):
It was only until twenty twenty one did March Madness
start to actually mean women's and men's college basketball. Even
if you google NCAA tournament right now, only men's basketball
is gonna come up. Over the last two years, given
the popularity of Caitlyn Clark and Angel Reese and Juju
Watkins and now Hannah Hildalgo, and we started to see
(48:11):
them become household names. For this is disclaimer my personal reason,
but I think they started to become household names because
of the one thing that people argue for need to
be in women's basketball.
Speaker 7 (48:24):
Which I don't, and that is the one and done.
Speaker 8 (48:27):
One and done, in my opinion, has killed men's basketball.
People don't know these players because they don't get a
chance to build an attachment to these players and therefore
not so much as interested in their storylines as they
will be once they reach the NBA. Women's college basketball
gives us an opportunity to get to learn and love
these players because they stick around because they don't have
(48:49):
a one and done opportunity and I think when you
add the fact that twenty twenty one gave the women's
college game an opportunity to be heavily more marketed and
heavily more branded, along with the fact that there's a
legion that people have to their college teams, and then
given the fact that we know Caitlin because we remember
when she was getting broke down as a freshman, and
(49:09):
now here she is as a senior, taking this team
that no one thought to the final four to the
final four, you know what I mean. We remember when
Camilla Cardoso was on the bench and now she's the
and now she's the main offensive player for the South
Carolina team. We remember when Angel Riese was at Maryland
and now she's leading the charge at LSU. It's like,
(49:30):
it's like, this is what we get to see, this
development in this progression, And it did my heart justice
to walk into a hair salon or barbershop and folks
are like, I don't really know who's going to be
playing on the men's side, but I know Paige, I know,
Juju love it.
Speaker 11 (49:47):
The biggest thing that I love about the whole college
experience and the women's college basketball experience is the rivalries. Right,
so obviously we have you know, the powerhouse in South Carolina,
and what the South Carolina a Yukon robbery now has become,
especially in you know this day and age where we
(50:07):
have there's no more technically, there's no more quote unquote dominance. Right,
there is dominance when we say South Carolina right now.
But back in the day, we had your Yukon and
your Tennessee's and that was pretty much it. And then
sometimes in between years you had a Notre Dame, you
had a bailer. But now because we have so much
(50:30):
parody in our leagues and it created new robberies. It
created new robberies in what we'll say Notre Dame in Yukon,
it created new robberies in South Carolina, Yukon. It created
new robberies quote unquote when Angel and Caitlin was was
in their respective schools in IU and LSU, like that
(50:50):
created the bigger picture when we say women's college basketball
being on the ride. So I really think that that's
all so a great dynamic when it comes to the
ascension of the popularity, and most importantly in IL.
Speaker 1 (51:09):
This is the first generation of players that we get
to see really benefit from NIL, and we've seen how
beneficial it's been, especially to women athletes. And when you
look at the numbers, right these women athletes in college
sports are some of the top earners.
Speaker 3 (51:24):
When it comes to NIL money.
Speaker 1 (51:26):
But also when we look at the numbers and they're
social following, and so that helps when it comes to
marketing and viewership and accessibility and visibility and wanting to
put them on TV. These these executives are looking at
those numbers and also benefiting from those audiences that these
women college athletes bring over.
Speaker 3 (51:46):
So NIL definitely helps.
Speaker 1 (51:48):
And then it obviously helps when it comes to earning.
Speaker 3 (51:51):
When we see that rookies only make.
Speaker 1 (51:52):
About seventy four thousand dollars, these players are coming into
the WNBA right now millionaires. So I think that is
dope that we're seeing this growth and I'm looking forward
to seeing it continue to trickle down. All Right, y'all,
we're gonna take another quick break, and when we get
back the brunch cruise share some of their favorite holiday traditions.
(52:27):
All right, y'all, to wrap up the first half of
our top moments of the twenty twenty four women's basketball year. Uh,
it's Christmas and I know that not everyone celebrates Christmas,
but you know the holiday seasons are uph us. So
I want to know some of your favorite holiday traditions.
Speaker 8 (52:48):
Oh, I don't mind going first. Okay, holiday traditions for me,
every Christmas, I do this every Christmas. I one have
to start my day with Diehard. Diehard does the Christmas film.
I'm not debate this with nobody, so I always watch
die Hard.
Speaker 7 (53:03):
Right.
Speaker 8 (53:04):
Number two, I am always wearing something nightmare before Christmas
because you guys know, Halloween is my favorite holiday, and
so this is my way to bring in Halloween to
Christmas with something with holiday with Halloween, not member before Christmas,
so like socks or a hoodie or something.
Speaker 7 (53:20):
Okay.
Speaker 8 (53:21):
Number three, I'm probably gonna be watching basketball of some
sort because I think NBA and Christmas they go together.
They're a couple, They're an item, right for now? For now, yes, no,
NFL is just trying to infringe. Okay, NFL has Thanksgiving,
NBA has Christmas. So that's number three, all right. Number four,
of course, I'm going to play with my toys as
(53:43):
like I am still a kid. So whatever my husband
and bought me, I'm using it. I'm playing with it
for that day. Now, I'm probably ain't gonna use it,
no mo, but I'm gonna use it and play with
it that day because that has to happen. And last,
but certainly not least, I am drinking. We drink on Christmas.
It is what it is. That's what we do. Every Christmas.
There's somebody with some coquito. There's something something's happening in
(54:06):
which alcohol is involved. Because Mary freaking Christmas. Sit it
again somewhat the.
Speaker 5 (54:14):
Meaning God Meani.
Speaker 3 (54:16):
God, that's coming out, and I love being some coketho.
Speaker 1 (54:19):
Okay, all right, Kita, what's your favorite holiday tradition?
Speaker 11 (54:23):
Well, okay, I can honestly say I don't think I
have a distinct holiday tradition. I think the biggest thing
about the holidays is just being with family, and not
only my direct family, but being a part of my
extended family, you know, the Brush crew. We always you know,
text each other, we always you know group FaceTime. So
(54:45):
that's the biggest thing. That's you know, pretty much uh
for me from a traditional standpoint. But another thing is
just of course being able to relax. I know that
you mentioned a lot when we're in our chats you
know how we are mentally, and sometimes just having that
space where you can relax and not worry about the
(55:08):
world is some of the greatest things ever. So you know,
I think that's probably my favorite out of the whole
entire holiday tradition, you know, thing that we got going.
Speaker 3 (55:18):
On all right, thee what's your holiday tradition?
Speaker 4 (55:21):
I always look forward to breakfast. My aunt cooks breakfast
every morning, every Christmas morning, and we all, like when
we were in South Carolina, we will all go to
her house. So this year we're traveling for Christmas, but
we made sure off She's like, you know, we gotta
do the breakfast. So I think that's what I really
look forward to. And watching my little cousins open their gifts.
I'm like now at the age to where I'm not
(55:42):
worried about getting anything. I do still accept gifts, So
if anybody out there want to spoil me, I do
like that. But I think it's really just watching my
cousins open their gifts and then like T said, we're
gonna have a little drink me.
Speaker 5 (55:54):
My cousins were gonna take the walk, We're gonna.
Speaker 4 (55:56):
Go outside, we're gonna pop the trunk and then that
cool list be some adult beverages, is some Uncle juice?
Speaker 5 (56:02):
Like you very much.
Speaker 3 (56:03):
When what's your holiday tradition?
Speaker 9 (56:05):
I got a few we uh with my family the
night before Christmas, we always watched The Grinch, the original version,
none of the Jim Carrey mess. All right, I'm talking
like the original You're.
Speaker 7 (56:15):
A mean one, exactly exactly.
Speaker 9 (56:21):
So that's how we started off.
Speaker 1 (56:23):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (56:23):
And then the my favorite tradition used to be watching
the Knicks lose on on on Christmas Day, and now
it's watching the Knicks win on Christmas Day. Super psyched
for that. And then lastly, I'm gonna second what T
and B already said. We start with Mimosa's. Then we
start to build throughout the day. We might go on
a few walks and and and you know, take part
(56:44):
in some of the legalized flowers plants that have that
have you know, made themselves available.
Speaker 1 (56:52):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (56:52):
And we're gonna have a great, great day.
Speaker 7 (56:56):
I love so much.
Speaker 6 (57:01):
For me as the Jewish person on this podcast, I
will be celebrating Hanukkah. I do have two Christmas movies
that I watch every year. One is Diehard and the
other one is Muppet Christmas Carol. Those are the two
that I run back every year and they are fantastic movies.
And then for me, I have a Hanukah pot luck
every year with all my friends. So instead of exchanging
(57:24):
gifts in a white elephant kind of thing, I actually
all throughout the year by like these ten fifteen dollars
stupid little gifts, and everyone comes over, they make a dish,
we all get together. But in that pile that I
give there's always a silly picture of me and now
me and my wife, and whoever pulls that is required
(57:45):
to display it for the next year. So that's been
a tradition for about a decade now. And we just
did that with some friends for a housewarming because we
moved in here recently and nobody was coming in here
during w season when all of our stuff was everyone.
So that's finally having a yeah, except for Owen, who
is helping me move everything. So that's our new tradition
(58:07):
that we're going to have in our new home that
we're going to be keeping forward every year.
Speaker 7 (58:12):
I love that. I love that love that.
Speaker 8 (58:15):
Let me shout out Kwanza real quick. You know what
I'm saying, because we do. You just wanted to say that,
didn't you be?
Speaker 3 (58:23):
My friends are out of control, y'all?
Speaker 5 (58:24):
All right?
Speaker 1 (58:25):
So my favorite holiday tradition, it's not so traditional. I
feel like Friday After Next is a Christmas movie, so
it is. I watched Ridday After Next because it's funny
as hell.
Speaker 3 (58:35):
Kat Williams is hilarious in that movie.
Speaker 1 (58:38):
And then I like to listen to a playlist of
black Christmas music, so, you know, boys to mention in
my mind some t TLC.
Speaker 7 (58:48):
You know Destiny Child Christmas.
Speaker 6 (58:53):
You know.
Speaker 1 (58:55):
Christmas music going, and you came out one of my
favorite Christmas something. It's not really the songs when dmxi
uh Rudolph. We do that in my household, and obviously
family dinner is a huge thing. They play spades. I
do not know how to play spades. I know I'm
(59:16):
grown and I do not know how to play spades.
Speaker 3 (59:18):
But uh, that is a tradition in the Williams Simley
go ahead.
Speaker 4 (59:23):
Since you were talking about music, you have to play
I always play now for the past few years, the
Patty label version of this Christmas.
Speaker 7 (59:32):
Like what I kill cards and backbound singers.
Speaker 5 (59:35):
Haven't please listen to it? Like the Legend label is.
Speaker 3 (59:40):
Amazing funny performance.
Speaker 5 (59:42):
She did not words, she had her background singers or
her cue cards. So shout out to Patty.
Speaker 1 (59:48):
Where's my singers?
Speaker 8 (59:53):
Sometow that like for real Brial, that Patty LaBelle performance
goes hand in hand with Shirley Caesar at Thanksgiving because
every Thanksgiving now for the last three years, you gotta play.
I got Thiens even has her in the commercial.
Speaker 3 (01:00:11):
Now, I love Maria me.
Speaker 1 (01:00:13):
No Mariah Carey owns Christmas, so you obviously gotta listen.
Speaker 3 (01:00:17):
To no Mariah Carey disrespect. I love Christmas.
Speaker 1 (01:00:23):
So to everyone out there, happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy
Quanta if you celebrate, or just happy Holidays. If you're
not in the holiday spirit, I just hope that you're
with people you love and just having a good time
during this season. And yeah, I want to thank you
guys again for coming on the show this week.
Speaker 3 (01:00:41):
Next week we look at.
Speaker 1 (01:00:43):
Some of more top moments and we find out what
the number one moment of the year is. So don't
forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast Peace Peace.
Speaker 3 (01:01:00):
In case you missed it.
Speaker 1 (01:01:01):
With Christina Williams is an iHeart women's sports production in
partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports
and Entertainment. Welcome back to another episode of In Case
You Missed It with Christina Williams and happy holidays to everyone.
(00:21):
I thought to cap off the year, I'd get some
of my favorite people together to help me count down
some of the top moments of the twenty twenty four
women's basketball year. Because it's been such a huge year
in women's basketball, So joining me to countdown the top
(00:43):
fifteen moments of the year. It's the brunch grew. I
got my girl, Treka Foster brisby my boy k Dot
from the ninety four fifty b Terrell Miles, Rlick, and
Owen Pence. Sit tight, y'all because you are in for
an amazing ride with my crazy friends and also media
(01:06):
appears and I'm super excited about this. So without further ado,
here's the top fifteen moments in women's basketball of twenty
twenty four.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Number fifteen, the rise in shoe endorsement deals.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
The rise in WNBA's shoe endorsement deals marks a transformative
shift and the visibility and marketability of women's basketball, with
players securing record breaking contracts that rival those in major sports.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
From Caitlin Clark's.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Roundbreaking twenty eight million dollar eight year Nike signature shoe
deal the most lucrative and women's basketball history, to Asia
Wilson's upcoming Nike release in twenty twenty five, the trend
is redefining the financial landscape for female athletes. Players like
Sabrini on Escu and Branda Stewart have turned their partnerships
with global brands into major success, with Jonescu's Nike line
(01:59):
seeing a time growth and Stewart's leading the charge for Puma. Meanwhile,
new players are making waves too, with Rakia Jackson becoming
the first WNBA player to sign with Sketchers and Angel
Rees securing a signature shoe deal with Reebok. As shoe
deals become a new frontier for WNBA players, they're not
just earning endorsement dollars, They're building legacies that influence both
(02:23):
the sport and the broader world of passion and culture.
So Brandon, Asia Wilson and Nike announced that she would
get her new shoe debuting next bringing also an apparel collection.
I know you right, hard for your girl, Asia Wilson,
So what was your reaction when you heard that.
Speaker 4 (02:43):
I was excited and all I could say was, it
was about time, Like this has been someone who has
consistently been at the top of the game for years
and now to finally, finally, I guess get what many
have felt for so long that has been doing to her.
Speaker 5 (03:00):
It was exciting.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
So I can't wait about what six months away from
its its debut. So I'm excited to see it and
just excited to see all the signings of everyone. You know,
of course women's sports with their shoe deals.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
I absolutely love that she just let people talk when
the announcement was made that Caitlin Clark was getting a
signature shoe.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
She knew that her project was already in the works
and she just let everyone talk.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
And then when the announcement happened, she was just like,
I popped out and I'm showing y'all that you know,
I'm getting one too.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I thought that was very strategic, very clever.
Speaker 6 (03:38):
And not only that, but we were able to she
was able to show us that she had been wearing
some merch with the logo and Dawn was debuting stuff
the rollout has been really fun, and it just kind
of shows the creative control that Asia has in that
entire process, which is how signature shoes really should go.
So I love that for her. It's not just that
she's getting a shoe. It's not just a all right,
(03:59):
everyone else got one, now it's time for Asia to
get one. She really has been involved in the process
for a long time and it's coming and it's going
to be fantastic. I'm just so excited about what it's
going to look like. By the time we see the
shoe itself.
Speaker 5 (04:11):
I don't care what it looks like. I'm buying it.
Speaker 7 (04:14):
I'm buying it too.
Speaker 8 (04:15):
But I also will say, like, I think we have
to be completely honest and transparent about what actually popped off. Right,
We're not going to say we can just let Asia
just was quiet. No, Nike had played in her face
for a very long time, and because they played in
her face for a very long time, when we start
seeing all these other female athletes come out with shoes,
we're like, bro, what is going on? So, yeah, it
was a secret that she knew, but people were warranted
(04:37):
for the questions that they had surrounding why she had
not had a shoe deal yet, and we're going off
and going hard the way that they had been. So
we're excited about her shoe deal and very excited about
all these women who are really making waves with their
own shoe deals and things and their player editions and
things like that. But we got to keep it a book,
like Nike played in her face for a very long time,
(04:59):
and a lot of people were warranted in the feelings
that they had about her not yet having a shoe.
Speaker 6 (05:04):
I think it's been great to see how much people
across basketball have embraced sab sneakers, and it's not just
because of that being the trendy pick, but it's because
they're very comfortable and because they have all these color ways,
and seeing the Nike for you for the Sabrina shoes,
I think also let people customize to a point that
you really can't with so many of these other sneakers,
(05:26):
So that also helped the growth.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
CB sipping his tea super hard. I think the Sabrina
two's are dope.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
Ellie was one of the first first mascot in sports
history to have do we call it a pe or
a custom accustom shoe, but That's another thing. There's a
difference between player exclusives and signature shoes. I think that
that's important to point in note to fans that there's
a complete different page. Beckers this year was announced with Nike,
(05:58):
the first nil athlete you get a player exclusive, and
so when you learn the difference between the two, I
think that it helps the situation. But I love that,
you know, these women athletes are finally getting what they're
what they deserve. The ki At Jackson is the first
WNBA athlete to sign with Sketchers. Angel Reese's reported to
get a signature shoe with Reebok in twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Sick Colson, who.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Is may not be as big of a name when
we look at, you know, the other WNBA athletes who
are getting these signature shoes in comparison, but she's a
two time WNBA champion and she has to deal with
creative control. So lots of movement within the w and
the connection and intersection of fashion and culture.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Number fourteen Candace Parker announced retirement.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Candace Parker, one of the most iconic and influential figures
in women's basketball, has announced her retirement, bringing an end
to a legendary career that has spanned over fifteen seasons.
Known for her versatility, leadership, and dominance on both ends
of the court, Parker has been a trailblazer for the WNBA,
winning two MVP Awards, two WNBA Championships, and earning countless
(07:11):
All Star in all WNBA honors. Her impact reached beyond
the hardwood as she became a vocal advocate for gender
equality and paved the way for the future generations of
women in sports. From her days as a college phenom
at Tennessee to her time with the Los Angeles Sparks
in Chicago, Sky Parker's legacy is cemented not only in
(07:32):
her accolades, but in cultural shift she helped create for
women's basketball. As she steps away from the game, Parker
leaves behind an unparalleled legacy that has inspired fans and
athletes alike, securing her place as one of the sport's
greatest ever players. All right, so where were you guys
(07:52):
when Kendas Parker's retirement was announced?
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Because my heart broke in a million pieces moment.
Speaker 5 (08:02):
Oh do.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
See good?
Speaker 6 (08:08):
Oh my god, Well, Christina, I know where you were.
We were in the same place. We were at Liberty
training camp when this happened.
Speaker 7 (08:18):
In fact, I think, I.
Speaker 6 (08:21):
Oh, you might have been running. You might have been
on time for that.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
One of y'all asked, Okay, asked me, right?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
I forgot that I was That was me? No, Okay,
I was there.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
You were there.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Like a double take or something when y'all said it
or whatever, and she was like, wait what something like.
Speaker 3 (08:44):
Who asked the question?
Speaker 1 (08:45):
I'm pretty sure that I put it out, but anyways,
needed there there or here. I started watching basketball because
the canvas Parker. So like, when her retirement was announced,
it was very shocking because I never thought that I
would see the day that one of my favorite basketball
players ever would retire. But also, like from a human level,
(09:07):
I understood why she wanted to do it. She always
says she never wanted to cheat the game, and we
know that she was dealing with a foot injury for
the last year or so, and what she set her
standard to in terms of she didn't want to play,
just to play. Everything was intentional and so I respected it.
(09:27):
But man, my heart broken a million pieces when she
announced her retirement.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
Don't want to cheat the game. Let's sit with that.
Don't want to cheat the game.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Amen.
Speaker 5 (09:39):
Amen, I'm just gonna play that.
Speaker 8 (09:41):
I'm gonna still still the only rookie to drop forty
in a game, y'all.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
Like she's the only rookie to be named MVP.
Speaker 8 (09:49):
Like she was rookie of one year and the year
in the same Like she's one of one. Honestly, I'm
not gonna tell my age, because she definitely wasn't playing
when I first started watching the WNBA, so as the
oldest one on the podcast right now, I'm gonna just
let that lie. However, I was not surprised at her
(10:10):
decision to retire. We had, you know, all of us
cover this game extensively, and we knew the challenges that
she had been going through medically, and we also knew
that she had gotten to a point where she was like,
you know, my daughter's getting older. I want to be
there for her. I want to be able to support
her the way that she supported me throughout the entirety
of my career. So I think it was very sensible
(10:34):
her coming to that conclusion. I think the shock of
it was just the timing and how none of us
who truly appreciate Candace had an opportunity to truly celebrate
Candace in her final season the way she deserved to
be celebrated. And I very much put an emphasis on
those of us who truly appreciate Candace, because there has
(10:54):
absolutely been throughout the course of her career folks who
have not appreciated the go They have not given her
the flowers, including some of her peers. Yeah, and so
I appreciate her for going out on her terms and
going out the way that she did because I don't
think that Kandace wanted fake love from people. I don't
think that she deserved fake love from people. So as
(11:16):
heartbreaking as it was for those of us who loved her,
it made perfect sense for her to say it is
what it is.
Speaker 6 (11:22):
I do think she won two more championships after that
Athletic poll called her from her peers called her most overrated,
So that goes to show you that Candace did not
let that go without taking notice.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
And am the only player in league history to win
three championships on three different teams. Hello, And I feel
like when we talk about women's basketball and we look
at the stats, she's a lot of stats that always
say since Candace Parker, so she is the standard when
we talk about the greatest in women's basketball, and we
talk about Mount Rushmore, She's right up there. I think
(11:55):
that the closure for me was being able to attend
her party. Yes, starting Phoenix this past year. That was like,
oh my God, like this is really happening. It was
kind of like a high moment for just being in
this space and being able to cover Candace and growing
up a fan of Candace when she played at Tennessee
(12:16):
for pat Summit. Just all the different milestones she had,
even in the McDonald's All American Game, winning the Dunk Contest,
just the standards she set for women's basketball, breaking so
many different barriers.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
Just seeing her at the you know, the last the
party I was.
Speaker 5 (12:35):
I still got my pillow.
Speaker 1 (12:36):
We were told we could take them because she paid
for her Hello.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
I left mine in the hotel.
Speaker 7 (12:45):
Doing the typical thing.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Was out there, was out.
Speaker 3 (12:52):
There in her element, wrapping to Jay Z.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
It was like ship, like the curtains are really closing,
but also it's opening up for the next generation and
uh women athletes, And so I think that's Jobe. And
now she's the president of women's basketball at Adidas, so
you already know she's about to change the game from
the front office.
Speaker 7 (13:11):
Now, a part of.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Me did think that she was going to come back
a little bit because I always think about talking about
the MNBA. But I remember after six when the Miami
Heat won, so they were unsuccessful to defend their title
that next year, and Alonzo Morning said something along the
lines of I came back to defend my title, you know,
because he was at he was at the he was
(13:33):
close to the end of his career. He was like,
I came back to defend my title. But I didn't
like how he defended it. So he was going to
retire if they had successfully defended it, but because they didn't,
he decided to come back to try again. And I
was like, what if Cannis does something like that? And
she did it, and I was like, oh, well it really.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Was but no, but for what this word, Cannis Parker
is one of the greatest to ever do it, so
I think she went out on a good way. Three
time WBA Champion, she played sixteen years, number one overall
pick two thousand and eight, seven times WNBA All Star,
only player to win Rookie of the Year and WNBA
MVP in the same season.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
She won two Olympic.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Gold medals and a lot of people joke about the
curse of Cannas Parker.
Speaker 9 (14:20):
All that it's still going.
Speaker 1 (14:23):
So so it is what it is. P shout out
to Kandas Parker, thank you for not cheating the game
and just for everything that you gave to the game
of basketball. The countdown continues after this break, so don't
go anywhere more of in case you missed it with
Christina Williams when we.
Speaker 3 (14:40):
Get back.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Number thirteen. WNBA coaching and front office carousel.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
The twenty twenty four NBA season saw a whirlwind of
movement and coaching in front office positions, signaling a new
era of leadership and change across the WNBA. In addition
to coaching changes, several teams revamped their front office operations,
bringing in fresh perspectives and experience executives to help reshape
the future of the league.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
As teams retool.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
For the future, the coaching and front office shakeups reflect
a broader shift toward growth and competitiveness in the WNBA,
setting the stage for an exciting new chapter in the
league's evolution.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
But who are the winners and who are the losers?
Speaker 1 (15:37):
In the postseason, there's been a lots of movement in
the WNBA space, lots of firings and hirings. Teresa Weatherspoon
was the one that shocked the world, right, she didn't
even she got a full season with the Chicago's guy
and then got fired. And you know, for what it's worth,
they did make a really really good hire in Friend
to the Show, Tyler Marsh, which team do you think
(16:01):
were winners and losers in the off season? We know
that some teams have yet to announce.
Speaker 8 (16:05):
Their Connecticut how we catching a stray?
Speaker 5 (16:09):
What you mean losers?
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Loseers because they should have bagged and kept Stephanie locked in.
And now I think that is gonna have a major
ripple effect and they're gonna lose a lot of people.
And they're by they were always maids years could be
They're gonna be a little flower girls. They no longer
(16:33):
Brismians because they're gonna lose a lot of people. Congrats, Okay, fast.
Speaker 8 (16:38):
Of all, First of all, you need to fall back
because number one, you up in here talking junk because
of how you feel about where the coach of Connecticut
formerly actually ended up.
Speaker 7 (16:49):
So here's that.
Speaker 8 (16:50):
And let me just also say for the record, I
saw the little video that the Indiana Fever put out
with Kaitlyn working with Keith and Austin and Stephanie, and
I was just I ain't gonna lie. I felt a
little ball in the back of my throat because I
was like, Oh, that's my whole coaching staff fast in Indiana.
Speaker 7 (17:10):
They are about to be fired right now.
Speaker 8 (17:12):
But anyway, I don't think Connecticut is a loser because
I also don't have enough evidence on a WNBA side
of how the new coach is actually going to perform.
Speaker 7 (17:23):
We only know.
Speaker 8 (17:24):
About his activities as an international coach and internationally. We
know the basketball is a little bit different. It's a
little bit more physical, and that actually plays into the
style of a few people who currently are still with
Connecticut who we don't know what their decision is going
to be, so they might not be the losers.
Speaker 7 (17:41):
The losers to me for real, for.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
Real, got y'all even named the coach. See that's how good,
that's how much they're losing. Because I forgot they brought
him from over the water.
Speaker 8 (17:52):
I wish I could see my face right now. That's
why I will taught to be it's right. That's why
I don't talk to be it's right here.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Because who is the group chat?
Speaker 8 (18:01):
This is why, this is, this is why on top
to be the losers for real, in my opinion, is
Washington right now?
Speaker 5 (18:09):
Okay, I can give you.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
Washington always a loser, but it's a sexy city, so
it's always going to be better to be in DC
than Connecticut.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
Are they really losers because they fired Eric Tebow.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Because they went to an expansion draft without having a
GM or a coach and the exactly the whole protection
system was just up in the air. They should not
have lost Julie in that expansion draft, and it's because
right now they are just a ship without a captain.
So I would not want to be betting on that future.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
Or propeller or sale or engine. That dang it is
the Titanic.
Speaker 9 (18:45):
Total void of leadership. I think it's a win to
fire to fire baby Tebow, but it's uh, They've got
no plan and it's embarrassing.
Speaker 6 (18:54):
I think that landing Tyler Marsh and especially seeing what
Tyler Marsh has done with the Aces, especially looking at
what he did specifically with Jackie Young in her development,
is the most exciting part of the next stage of
what we see from Angel Reese for me and Camilla too,
and I know that those are Kayla but and Mikayla
(19:15):
and Mikayla. Yeah, Mick, Mick's going to be really exciting
there as well. It's just players that want to work.
There are a lot of players there that are those
gym rats that are going to be those high effort players,
and we know that he is willing to put in
the time and to help work on their games too.
So while it was really tough to see Teaspoon, especially
because this league has such a problem with moving on
(19:37):
so quickly from especially from black women, and for Tea
Spoon to get a year in a in a just
a franchise that was completely complete upheaval. They had just
traded call Away, they had had no picks after James
Wade left and we're just trying to recoup stuff. So
for her to only get a year and then get
fired did not sit right. But to be able to
get Tyler Marsh makes sense when you're looking at it
(20:00):
outside of the context the larger context of what that
means for where the league is at. And I think
that he's a really good fit for the personnel that
are already there.
Speaker 5 (20:08):
Shout out to Tyler.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Everybody knows you know, that's that's a guy who definitely
showed me love from the very first day that I'm
with Vegas. I'm really excited for him to see what
he does in Chicago. Another big thing for me though,
in this coaching cycle, were two college coaches leaving to
come to the W after their college seasons had already started,
with Lynn Roberts and Carls Mesco like what they probably
(20:30):
coach each maybe five or six games already, and then
they were like, all right, peace out, ladies and gentlemen,
I'm going to the big league.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
So that was shocking to me.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
And yeah, the reverse, Nikki Colin, like, these are coaches
who come into the pro game with a reputation of
a lot of threes. We know that that's where the
NBA has gone recently. The W there are there have
been some players over the years who can definitely shoot
(20:59):
it at a high volume. But I'm interested to see
what it looks like for their their respective teams.
Speaker 5 (21:05):
The Atlanta Dream who will be in the finals this year?
I think this is the year.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Year they are not going to the final?
Speaker 6 (21:12):
All right, can I Hammer be down on naming a
couple of players that like to shoot the three from
far out? Who are a couple that that you've noticed.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
There are a lot of players on different teams. I
won't name anyone specifically. Arika can shoot from deep, Kennedy
can shoot from deep.
Speaker 5 (21:35):
D t can shoot from deep. What's up?
Speaker 6 (21:37):
What else from?
Speaker 5 (21:41):
I will say?
Speaker 1 (21:44):
I will say that the Liver Roberts hiring was very
shocking to me considering the players that they have on
their roster who are not necessarily three point shooters. So
if the Sparks are one going to use free agency
to use some of their assets to trade off and
get some outside shooting, like, I don't know how these
(22:08):
players are going to fit in that system, but obviously
you're going to build your roster in the future around
the rikiat Jackson's and Camera bring.
Speaker 8 (22:15):
I think the shock that you mentioned about college coaches
leaving in their season to come to the W just
more speaks to the way the W coaching has become
a more desirable league. For a long time, it kind
of felt like the WNBA coaching was a stepping stone
to do something different, and I feel like the culture
is shifting now to where people are starting to respect
(22:37):
that coaching in the w is not a stepping stone.
And I would go so far as to say that
Becky Hammond kind of did this with Mark Davis the
way that she was, you know, the first to get
that million dollar contract. It really what it did to
me would show that we value this position in this
league and we're willing to pay for that and other
programs and other programs, excuse me. Other teams are starting
(22:59):
in front offices are starting to realize that you have
to value the coach the same way the players expect
to be valued to and oftentimes where a player decides
to play it can often depend on who's coaching, what
their system is like, etc. So I just think to
your point that it is now a much more desirable
position to coach in the WNBA than it had been
(23:22):
perceived in years past.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Number twelve WNBA team investigations.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
The WNBA is currently navigating a series of investigations into
several teams, adding a layer of complexity to an already
transformative season as the league continues to grow in prominence.
These investigations, ranging from front office disputes to alleged misconduct,
have drawn attention to the internal workings of some franchises.
(23:51):
While specifics remain under wraps, the inquiries are raising important
questions about team culture, management and the treatment of players
league striving for greater visibility and respect. How these investigations
unfold could have long term implications both.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
On and off the court.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
As a WNBA works to maintain its integrity and commitment
to player welfare, these ongoing investigations remind us that even
the most successful leagues must confront their challenges and continue evolving.
So this has been a huge year for the WNBA
for more reasons than one, and namely so many investigations
(24:33):
being cracked down on between different organizations. The Las Vegas
Aces was sued this year by former player Dierka Hanby,
who's also a friend to this show, and she alleged
that she was subject to repeated acts of intimidation, discrimination
and retaliation from the Aces, which led to her trade
(24:54):
in twenty twenty three from the Aces to the Sparks.
And she also alleged that the league failed to proper
investigate her issue. So we know that earlier this year
she filed the complaint with the EEOC. They gave her
a right to sue, and in August, the news broke
that de Handby was filing a federal lawsuit against the
(25:14):
w NBA and her former team, the Las Vegas Aces.
And September of this year, also the WNBA and Aces
filed the motion to dismiss the lawsuit, saying that one,
she didn't have a standing to sue the league because
she's technically not an employee of the w NBA, and
they also disputed her claim that they failed to investigate
(25:35):
it properly. The Aces argue that she failed to provide
evidence of retaliation for discrimination. Obviously, this is still an
ongoing case, but this is something that's kind of staying
the league for the last year, I.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
Want to say.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
But with the new CBA opt out, you know, Tierka,
she came on the show. She talked about what she
hoped the protection would be moving forward for athletes, to
our parents and that sort of thing.
Speaker 10 (26:07):
Obviously, you know, we've made a lot of progress in
the past, and we're going to contain any progress because
that's just what this thing is about, you know, progressing.
But overall, outside of mothers, I think there just needs
to be better protection for players in general. You know,
there needs to be I guess a language of where
players shouldn't still scared to speak up about the things
(26:29):
that are happening to them and fear that they're going
to lose their jobs. Like I said, outside of my situation,
but I think, yeah, in general, just better player protection.
Speaker 6 (26:41):
All of us are going to be very careful here
because I think we have to be forward with wanting
the best for Deerica, for all of the athletes in
this league, and especially especially the parents, because this has
been an issue with the WNBA for a very long
time that they thought that they were addressing with the
with the last CBA, and obviously it didn't do enough.
And there's I think with any instance like this, it's
(27:04):
going to be a lot of hearsay, and it's often
the player that's a singular person going up against a
franchise is kind of this David versu Goliath thing. And
I hope that Deerica didn't feel abandoned by all of
her teammates that had been put into a really difficult
position where they had to then compromise their own their
(27:28):
integrity and their friendships with their careers. So it was
a really hard thing to see play out and it's
a really upsetting thing to see play out so publicly,
and that Deerica felt like she had to go that route.
These players are not feeling like they're being heard or
they're being treated in a way that they should and
(27:49):
at the end of the day, they are the product.
And that's what they said in Players Association statements is
that there is no WNBA without its athlete. So it's
really important for them to feel safe in that environment,
and de Erica very clearly did not.
Speaker 4 (28:07):
I just want protection for everyone. I want everyone to
feel like they're valued at work. I want everyone to
feel as if their concerns matter. They covered a lot
of ground in regards to the last CBA negotiation, so
hopefully over the past what has been four years since
the last going on five years since the last CBA
twenty twenty, right, yeah, right before the bubble, hopefully people
(28:29):
took from that what worked, what didn't work, and they
make the necessary adjustments going forward. Hopefully they've had time
to think of other things that they need because of experiences.
Experience can be your best teacher. So if you didn't
know you needed something, you probably would have never brought
it up. So going forward, hopefully they read the CBA
to know what's going on, because we know the players
(28:49):
have mentioned that they didn't really know everything that was
in the CBA.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
That's neither here nor there.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
But hopefully going forward they're able to really do a
deep dive on the things that they think of and
they can have some kind of I guess, foresight into
really uncovering some needs that, even if they don't need
it right now, what they could potentially need in the future.
That way, things like this that have happened over the
past year or so will hopefully not be a problem
(29:13):
any longer.
Speaker 5 (29:14):
But I just want everybody to have fun.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
In addition to deer Can Hanby's lossing against the Las
Vegas Aces, the league also earlier this year launched an
investigation into the Las Vegas Aces one hundred thousand dollars
player marketing deals with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
The gist of that investigation was, did ownership and the
(29:40):
team find a way to circumvent the CVA A CBA
sally capitles And so this is still an ongoing investigation,
but I think that the terms of this marketing deal
sounds very.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
Closely to nil y'all. See, you got me so funny
right now?
Speaker 4 (29:58):
People just some haters and don't get mad because they
city supporting them.
Speaker 5 (30:03):
Like, step your cookies up, Step your cookies up.
Speaker 1 (30:06):
So when you break down the deal in itself and
its entirety, right, it's a pro rated deal for the
members of the Las Vegas Aces. Obviously, if a player
were to be waived or cut for the team, they
no longer benefit from this taking.
Speaker 5 (30:20):
An expansion draft give us back our money cake.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
So, according to the reports, within this deal, the players
had to appear in three public announcements a year. The
players had to do a photo shoot an interview for
content on visit Las Vegas dot com. They had to
wear custom branded apparel for at least one pregame arrival,
and they had to post two social media posts promoting
(30:43):
Las Vegas. Now The Aces, for what it's worth, is
the team of the city. When you go to Las Vegas,
Las Vegas, you think of the Aces. They are two
time WNBA champions. So this is a marketing deal that
just makes sense. And so I guess where the investigation
comes on this. Did the team to have a hand
(31:04):
in negotiating this deal? That would kind of like be
a violation of the CBA.
Speaker 8 (31:11):
I'm not buying it. I'm not buying it. I'm gonna
tell you why I'm not buying it. I'm not buying
it because if Adida asked every single one of these
athletes to do this exact same thing, no one has
an investigation. If Nike asked every single one of these
athletes to do the exact same things, there's no investigation.
The WNBA has a similar deal with their player ambassadors,
where they go out and promote the league and they
get paid for it, and nobody launches an investigation. You're
(31:35):
mad because Las Vegas and Mark Davis have found a
way to partner that doesn't infringe upon what the CBA
actually said. I had to stop myself because I almost
got two group chat friendly and started saying words I
probably shouldn't say on the podcast. But at the end
of the day, it feels like somebody specifically went out
to try to find something about this, to try to
(31:58):
make more of it than what it actually should have been.
Speaker 7 (32:01):
These players deserve this.
Speaker 8 (32:03):
Type of sponsorship, and quite honestly, if it does in
some way present a loophole in the CBA, who cares
that's what people do, That's why they're there. The whole
point is to find ways for these players to get
paid and to get the money that they deserve. And
if they're not going to be able to get that
through actual compensation from their salaries, who cares If the
(32:23):
city sponsors them. I wish somebody would sponsor me. Can
the city of Hartford sponsor me? I will pop out
on social media and do And the thing I also
think is important is that none of these things that
they're being asked to do actually requires them to play basketball.
And if I'm not mistaken, the actual CBA is saying
that they can't get paid for other actual basketball services.
Speaker 7 (32:46):
These are not basketball services.
Speaker 8 (32:48):
So I am not understanding why this investigation even exists
without coming to the conclusion that there was someone with
an ulterior motive who wanted to find reason to question
why these players in this franchise, which is already one
of the most popular while also being the youngest franchise
well until Golden State, but being the youngest franchise in
(33:10):
the WNBA, and yet one of the most successful franchises
in the WNBA, and dare I say one of the
most black cultural presents exactly THEBA. Why all of a
sudden does this need to be an investigation against them.
It's like the red flags are right there. We can
see what the agenda is. Let's acknowledge that and tackle that.
Speaker 6 (33:32):
If you want to look at this as a loophole,
then the problem is that eleven teams reacted by saying
this is doing wrong by our competitive advantage and not saying, oh,
this is ways that we can get our players played
that part or backwards that part players paid. So I
think that that was the problem, is that this is
everyone should be looking for compensation. And we've seen this
(33:55):
in terms of just growth of the WNBA in total.
Is that there are some organizations that are trying to
push that progress forward, that are trying to make the
nicest facilities, that are trying to invest money of their
own and they're hitting these paywalls basically because there are
some ownership groups that are not willing to put up
that level of investment. And that's what the conversation is.
(34:18):
It's people that are crying poor and that they're using
the aces as an example, but all they're doing. All
that city did was they showed love to their players
to their champions and that everyone else should just follow
that example.
Speaker 1 (34:31):
All right, y'all, we're going to take a quick break,
so stay with us. We have more top moments from
twenty twenty four when we get back, so say.
Speaker 2 (34:40):
Two number eleven. WNBA media coverage.
Speaker 1 (34:53):
Despite the WNBA's rapid growth and increased visibility, it's news
coverage still occasionally falls victim to awkward in misinformed moments
that highlight the ongoing tone depth commentary, to overlook storylines.
The league experienced its fair share of gafs that not
only failed to do justice to the athletes, but missed
(35:14):
opportunities for meaningful storytelling. Whether it's a lack of understanding
about the sport, mispronunciation of players' names, or an emphasis
on irrelevant personal details instead of the athletes accomplishments, these
awkward moments serve as reminders of the work still needed
to elevate the league to its rightful place in the
sports world. As the WNBA continues to grow, the hope
(35:37):
is that such missteps will become less frequent, paving the
way for coverage that truly reflects the talent, impact, and
dedication to its players. I don't know if y'all remember,
but when the season started, there was a lot of
controversy surrounding Indie Star columnists Reg Doyle. He was banned
(35:58):
from covering the Indiana fever in person and was suspended
two weeks after an awkward interaction with Caitlyn Clark.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
In a media availability.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
He did like a heart sign gesture, and he told her,
you know, I like that you're here, Start doing that
to me and we'll get along fine.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Now, shit went crazy when he did that.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
I mean, I felt like it was awkward because leading
up to the season launching one, there was media one
oh one sessions between certain media peers like myself and
teams where you know, we kind of laid down the
expectations for the season, and this was something that the
league did and it's implemented in the league policy. And two,
(36:46):
I just felt like it sent everybody back and set
everybody back.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
From him doing that and just making it awkward.
Speaker 7 (36:52):
I think most of us were on. Were we all on?
Speaker 8 (36:54):
Because I was definitely on when he did that, and
I was just like, matter of fact, that group chat
was like, wait, what just happened?
Speaker 11 (37:02):
I think everybody did the what just happened?
Speaker 8 (37:05):
This was probably the most love hated season I've ever
had as a media member of the WNBA. I absolutely
love the fact that this league was getting mainstream coverage,
that this league was getting more attention, that more people
were interested for whatever those reasons were. I was totally
here for it because these women deserved it, and it's
something that we had been clamoring for forever. What I
(37:28):
hated was that, in the same time, the bitter sweetness
is that those of us that have been on the
ground covering this league forever were kind of forgotten for
people like this, and you want to have mainstream outlets
making this a priority. But I was always one that
was saying, get the people who have maybe been at
(37:50):
grassroots organizations and bring them to your organization because they
already have a relationship with the players, they already know
the landscape of women's basketball. It makes the most sense.
But now you want to get the football guy. And
I know this because I am an Indianapolis coach fan,
so I am very familiar with Indianapolis media, and you
want to get the football guy to come in here
(38:11):
and throw up heart signs at Katelyn Clark. What kind
of weird shit is this? Right, like, this is what
you get. So we already knew that this was about
to be a mess from the very beginning of the
season when I tel you these weirdos did not let
us down. They did not let us down because they
just kept getting more and more weird throughout the course
of the season. And then we get to Christine and
(38:34):
damn it, what in the world is going on?
Speaker 6 (38:36):
Well before there, I just want to say that this
is an example of the Caitlyn Clark effect, because we've
all been in media long enough to know that this
shit's been going on for years. There have been weird
people acting in this space for a very long time.
And what this had was this happy amplification of the
w being the story, so it carried more weight. And
(38:57):
this is not to excuse the behavior this This behavior
is terror, but the behavior like this has gone on
in this space for a very long time where people
do not have sufficient media training or understanding or empathy
or common sense and should not be just granted access.
And that's a huge issue that the WNBA has, and
I think that a large part of it stems from
(39:18):
the fact that this is a leak that is trying
to gain a foothold, so they are like, you're going
to give us coverage, we will give you access, and
they're just not policing that at all. And this finally
got to a point this year where they had to
because there were some eyes on and you couldn't be
showing your ass the entire time. So people had to
be held accountable. And it's because that was happening to Caitlin.
(39:39):
If that had happened to I don't know, just another rookie,
if that had happened to Aliah Edwards in Washington, I
don't think this blows up. And that's a problem.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
It got to a point where the WMBPA had come
out Terry Jackson front to the show. She came out
and called out Christine Brennan and she said that you
know her behavior in line of question in two Connecticut
SunStar dj A Krrington was blatant attempt to bait a
professional athlete into participating in a narrative that is false
and designed a few racist, homophobic, and misogynistic vitriol on
(40:13):
social media, and so we know how much that impacted
not only the media, but the athletes and Kitlyn Clark.
She was named Time Athlete of the year she came
out and said, you know what, I agree with what
the PA did in calling out Christine Brennan because that
line of questioning wasn't necessary and it was it happens
(40:35):
in basketball. So I think having the PA having Kitlyn
come out to support Djna Carrington, I think that that
was huge. I mean, I know that a lot of
people question the timing of Caitlyn coming out and finally
saying something once the season was over, but I think
better late than ever, right, like to dispel some of
(40:55):
those things too.
Speaker 5 (40:56):
Late, the damage was done.
Speaker 9 (40:59):
I think there's a section of older white sports media
that thinks that it is their right to cover anything
they want and do whatever they want. And it's so tiring,
and it's so frustrating, and this is a unique space
going through a very singular moment, and their behavior was
(41:19):
inexcusable in very different ways. Let's be clear with Greg
Doyle and Christine Brennan, and then as far as Caitlin
is concerned, like the damage was done. Like Djona had
to face so much horrible stuff online in person because
of how she was treated by Christine Brennan. And then
the fact that a lot of white players in the
(41:40):
league kind of stayed silent while it was all going down,
So I was disappointed. I'm glad she said something finally,
and she's not the main character in this, but it
was disappointing to me to have to watch Djona go
through what she went through without a lot of people
coming to her defense.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Number ten New media Rights deal.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
The WNBA has reached a landmark moment with its new
media right still, marking a significant step forward in the
league's growth and visibility. This historic agreement, which includes expanded
coverage across major platforms like ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and
CBS Sports, will bring the league to millions of new
viewers and provide enhanced access to games, player features, and
(42:28):
behind the scenes content. The deal is a game changer
for the WNBA, ensuring greater exposure for its athletes and
raising the profile of women's professional basketball on a global scale.
With increased media attention and financial backing, the WNBA is
poised for an even greater success as the new right
still solidifies the league's future and opens the door for
(42:50):
more investment, viewership, and opportunities for players. So the NBA
negotiated a new media rightstal and obviously the WNBA fell
within the umbrella. It came down to a two point
two billion dollar deal over eleven years, with the option
to renegotiate at the three year mark. I think that
(43:11):
this will be huge for the WNBA when we talk
about maintaining its growth and just continuing to build on
the momentum. But I do think that the league was
sort of short change when it came to this media
right still because of the momentum and growth we've seen
this past season. The NBA is losing tons of ratings
and the WNBA has only shown growth year over year
(43:34):
when it comes to ratings, when it comes to coverage
and the storylines, and so I think that the WNBA.
Speaker 3 (43:41):
Got short change.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
They could have negotiated their own deal if the NBA
would have allowed it, but they kind of packaged it
in and got the crumbs that was left.
Speaker 3 (43:51):
I feel like in this deal.
Speaker 7 (43:52):
Keep our players home.
Speaker 8 (43:54):
I just want to say, I hope that this deal
trickles into broadcasting because.
Speaker 7 (44:00):
Those of us, those of us on the broadcast team,
will love a little increase. So I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (44:05):
Facts and I would like to be That's why I'm
moving to New York so I can join some of
these broadcasts.
Speaker 5 (44:11):
Please thank you.
Speaker 11 (44:12):
I would like to be a part of production.
Speaker 7 (44:14):
That's all I ask for all I'm saying.
Speaker 8 (44:16):
I'm just saying the sideline reporter could love a little more,
That's all I'm asking.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
I feel like this media rights they're also set up
for the CBA opt out that happened this past November,
which was a huge deal as well because the players
obviously had to compromise a lot to get the last
still done. But looking at head, it does seem like
a bright spot that this new media rights stills coming
because that means hopefully more money to the players if
(44:41):
they negotiate that in their next CBA.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
You only get what you negotiate in life.
Speaker 4 (44:46):
Everybody should be on six figure contracts, everybody. Like if
you had the majority of the teams being on six
figure contracts with their twenty five million a season, imagine
now what salary cap increases drastically. Everybody should be at
least getting six figures.
Speaker 5 (45:05):
Now, we need the GM right.
Speaker 6 (45:08):
That the max should be in the seven figures.
Speaker 4 (45:10):
We need the gms to be a little smarter because
we know shouts out to some of those gms that
abandoned their teams in the middle of the season to
join what they thought were greener pastors after winning the
championship within the past two years.
Speaker 5 (45:24):
But that's neither here nor there.
Speaker 4 (45:25):
We need these gms to not pass out the seven
figure contracts. That's gonna cripple their teams. To everybody, role
players don't need to get the seven figure contracts. Just yeah,
all right, that's.
Speaker 3 (45:36):
It, all right. I think these teams need to hire
you as their next yem Okay.
Speaker 4 (45:42):
I'm a pincher penny number nine.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Women's college basketball is on the rise.
Speaker 1 (45:50):
Women's college basketball is experiencing a surge in popularity invisibility,
capturing the attention of fans across the nation like never before.
With electrifying stars like Caitlon Clark, Angel Lease, and Pagebackers
leading the charge, the game has never been more competitive
or exciting. Record breaking viewership, increased media coverage, and growing
(46:12):
sponsorships have propelled the sport to new heights, while powerhouse
programs and rising newcomers alike are pushing the boundaries of
what's possible on the court. The rising talent, dynamic storylines,
and passionate fan base are all signs that women's college
basketball is not only on the rise, it's becoming a
cultural and sporting force that is here to stay. What
(46:36):
excites you the most about this moment in women's college basketball.
Speaker 7 (46:40):
It's definitely a finally for me.
Speaker 8 (46:42):
Right now, keep in mind I have to cover men's
and women's right and this year became an ap Pope voter,
which I absolutely love and it is a lot of work,
but it is also really hard. These teams, I know, right,
but these teams are so good. But when I say finally,
understand that like for ye years, men's college basketball, while
(47:02):
women's has always been entertaining, men's college basketballs have always
been the headliner, have always been what had been put
on a pedestal, And unfortunately, due to a pandemic and
a video from Sedona Prince, people finally had that visual
because unfortunately we live in an era where people don't
believe what you say no more. You have to see
the visual, and that visual led to what ended up
(47:25):
being a huge systemic change in women's college basketball in
terms of facilities, in just terms of respect with how
they had been primed in the life for so many people,
branding everything, even the March Madness term, as I don't
know if you know listeners know this or not, but
March Madness had only been exclusively meant for men's college basketball.
(47:47):
It was only until twenty twenty one did March Madness
start to actually mean women's and men's college basketball. Even
if you google NCAA tournament right now, only men's basketball
is gonna come up. Over the last two years, given
the popularity of Caitlyn Clark and Angel Reese and Juju
Watkins and now Hannah Hildalgo, and we started to see
(48:11):
them become household names. For this is disclaimer my personal reason,
but I think they started to become household names because
of the one thing that people argue for need to
be in women's basketball.
Speaker 7 (48:24):
Which I don't, and that is the one and done.
Speaker 8 (48:27):
One and done, in my opinion, has killed men's basketball.
People don't know these players because they don't get a
chance to build an attachment to these players and therefore
not so much as interested in their storylines as they
will be once they reach the NBA. Women's college basketball
gives us an opportunity to get to learn and love
these players because they stick around because they don't have
(48:49):
a one and done opportunity and I think when you
add the fact that twenty twenty one gave the women's
college game an opportunity to be heavily more marketed and
heavily more branded, along with the fact that there's a
legion that people have to their college teams, and then
given the fact that we know Caitlin because we remember
when she was getting broke down as a freshman, and
(49:09):
now here she is as a senior, taking this team
that no one thought to the final four to the
final four, you know what I mean. We remember when
Camilla Cardoso was on the bench and now she's the
and now she's the main offensive player for the South
Carolina team. We remember when Angel Riese was at Maryland
and now she's leading the charge at LSU. It's like,
(49:30):
it's like, this is what we get to see, this
development in this progression, And it did my heart justice
to walk into a hair salon or barbershop and folks
are like, I don't really know who's going to be
playing on the men's side, but I know Paige, I know,
Juju love it.
Speaker 11 (49:47):
The biggest thing that I love about the whole college
experience and the women's college basketball experience is the rivalries. Right,
so obviously we have you know, the powerhouse in South Carolina,
and what the South Carolina a Yukon robbery now has become,
especially in you know this day and age where we
(50:07):
have there's no more technically, there's no more quote unquote dominance. Right,
there is dominance when we say South Carolina right now.
But back in the day, we had your Yukon and
your Tennessee's and that was pretty much it. And then
sometimes in between years you had a Notre Dame, you
had a bailer. But now because we have so much
(50:30):
parody in our leagues and it created new robberies. It
created new robberies in what we'll say Notre Dame in Yukon,
it created new robberies in South Carolina, Yukon. It created
new robberies quote unquote when Angel and Caitlin was was
in their respective schools in IU and LSU, like that
(50:50):
created the bigger picture when we say women's college basketball
being on the ride. So I really think that that's
all so a great dynamic when it comes to the
ascension of the popularity, and most importantly in IL.
Speaker 1 (51:09):
This is the first generation of players that we get
to see really benefit from NIL, and we've seen how
beneficial it's been, especially to women athletes. And when you
look at the numbers, right these women athletes in college
sports are some of the top earners.
Speaker 3 (51:24):
When it comes to NIL money.
Speaker 1 (51:26):
But also when we look at the numbers and they're
social following, and so that helps when it comes to
marketing and viewership and accessibility and visibility and wanting to
put them on TV. These these executives are looking at
those numbers and also benefiting from those audiences that these
women college athletes bring over.
Speaker 3 (51:46):
So NIL definitely helps.
Speaker 1 (51:48):
And then it obviously helps when it comes to earning.
Speaker 3 (51:51):
When we see that rookies only make.
Speaker 1 (51:52):
About seventy four thousand dollars, these players are coming into
the WNBA right now millionaires. So I think that is
dope that we're seeing this growth and I'm looking forward
to seeing it continue to trickle down. All Right, y'all,
we're gonna take another quick break, and when we get
back the brunch cruise share some of their favorite holiday traditions.
(52:27):
All right, y'all, to wrap up the first half of
our top moments of the twenty twenty four women's basketball year. Uh,
it's Christmas and I know that not everyone celebrates Christmas,
but you know the holiday seasons are uph us. So
I want to know some of your favorite holiday traditions.
Speaker 8 (52:48):
Oh, I don't mind going first. Okay, holiday traditions for me,
every Christmas, I do this every Christmas. I one have
to start my day with Diehard. Diehard does the Christmas film.
I'm not debate this with nobody, so I always watch
die Hard.
Speaker 7 (53:03):
Right.
Speaker 8 (53:04):
Number two, I am always wearing something nightmare before Christmas
because you guys know, Halloween is my favorite holiday, and
so this is my way to bring in Halloween to
Christmas with something with holiday with Halloween, not member before Christmas,
so like socks or a hoodie or something.
Speaker 7 (53:20):
Okay.
Speaker 8 (53:21):
Number three, I'm probably gonna be watching basketball of some
sort because I think NBA and Christmas they go together.
They're a couple, They're an item, right for now? For now, yes, no,
NFL is just trying to infringe. Okay, NFL has Thanksgiving,
NBA has Christmas. So that's number three, all right. Number four,
of course, I'm going to play with my toys as
(53:43):
like I am still a kid. So whatever my husband
and bought me, I'm using it. I'm playing with it
for that day. Now, I'm probably ain't gonna use it,
no mo, but I'm gonna use it and play with
it that day because that has to happen. And last,
but certainly not least, I am drinking. We drink on Christmas.
It is what it is. That's what we do. Every Christmas.
There's somebody with some coquito. There's something something's happening in
(54:06):
which alcohol is involved. Because Mary freaking Christmas. Sit it
again somewhat the.
Speaker 5 (54:14):
Meaning God Meani.
Speaker 3 (54:16):
God, that's coming out, and I love being some coketho.
Speaker 1 (54:19):
Okay, all right, Kita, what's your favorite holiday tradition?
Speaker 11 (54:23):
Well, okay, I can honestly say I don't think I
have a distinct holiday tradition. I think the biggest thing
about the holidays is just being with family, and not
only my direct family, but being a part of my
extended family, you know, the Brush crew. We always you know,
text each other, we always you know group FaceTime. So
(54:45):
that's the biggest thing. That's you know, pretty much uh
for me from a traditional standpoint. But another thing is
just of course being able to relax. I know that
you mentioned a lot when we're in our chats you
know how we are mentally, and sometimes just having that
space where you can relax and not worry about the
(55:08):
world is some of the greatest things ever. So you know,
I think that's probably my favorite out of the whole
entire holiday tradition, you know, thing that we got going.
Speaker 3 (55:18):
On all right, thee what's your holiday tradition?
Speaker 4 (55:21):
I always look forward to breakfast. My aunt cooks breakfast
every morning, every Christmas morning, and we all, like when
we were in South Carolina, we will all go to
her house. So this year we're traveling for Christmas, but
we made sure off She's like, you know, we gotta
do the breakfast. So I think that's what I really
look forward to. And watching my little cousins open their gifts.
I'm like now at the age to where I'm not
(55:42):
worried about getting anything. I do still accept gifts, So
if anybody out there want to spoil me, I do
like that. But I think it's really just watching my
cousins open their gifts and then like T said, we're
gonna have a little drink me.
Speaker 5 (55:54):
My cousins were gonna take the walk, We're gonna.
Speaker 4 (55:56):
Go outside, we're gonna pop the trunk and then that
cool list be some adult beverages, is some Uncle juice?
Speaker 5 (56:02):
Like you very much.
Speaker 3 (56:03):
When what's your holiday tradition?
Speaker 9 (56:05):
I got a few we uh with my family the
night before Christmas, we always watched The Grinch, the original version,
none of the Jim Carrey mess. All right, I'm talking
like the original You're.
Speaker 7 (56:15):
A mean one, exactly exactly.
Speaker 9 (56:21):
So that's how we started off.
Speaker 1 (56:23):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (56:23):
And then the my favorite tradition used to be watching
the Knicks lose on on on Christmas Day, and now
it's watching the Knicks win on Christmas Day. Super psyched
for that. And then lastly, I'm gonna second what T
and B already said. We start with Mimosa's. Then we
start to build throughout the day. We might go on
a few walks and and and you know, take part
(56:44):
in some of the legalized flowers plants that have that
have you know, made themselves available.
Speaker 1 (56:52):
Uh.
Speaker 9 (56:52):
And we're gonna have a great, great day.
Speaker 7 (56:56):
I love so much.
Speaker 6 (57:01):
For me as the Jewish person on this podcast, I
will be celebrating Hanukkah. I do have two Christmas movies
that I watch every year. One is Diehard and the
other one is Muppet Christmas Carol. Those are the two
that I run back every year and they are fantastic movies.
And then for me, I have a Hanukah pot luck
every year with all my friends. So instead of exchanging
(57:24):
gifts in a white elephant kind of thing, I actually
all throughout the year by like these ten fifteen dollars
stupid little gifts, and everyone comes over, they make a dish,
we all get together. But in that pile that I
give there's always a silly picture of me and now
me and my wife, and whoever pulls that is required
(57:45):
to display it for the next year. So that's been
a tradition for about a decade now. And we just
did that with some friends for a housewarming because we
moved in here recently and nobody was coming in here
during w season when all of our stuff was everyone.
So that's finally having a yeah, except for Owen, who
is helping me move everything. So that's our new tradition
(58:07):
that we're going to have in our new home that
we're going to be keeping forward every year.
Speaker 7 (58:12):
I love that. I love that love that.
Speaker 8 (58:15):
Let me shout out Kwanza real quick. You know what
I'm saying, because we do. You just wanted to say that,
didn't you be?
Speaker 3 (58:23):
My friends are out of control, y'all?
Speaker 5 (58:24):
All right?
Speaker 1 (58:25):
So my favorite holiday tradition, it's not so traditional. I
feel like Friday After Next is a Christmas movie, so
it is. I watched Ridday After Next because it's funny
as hell.
Speaker 3 (58:35):
Kat Williams is hilarious in that movie.
Speaker 1 (58:38):
And then I like to listen to a playlist of
black Christmas music, so, you know, boys to mention in
my mind some t TLC.
Speaker 7 (58:48):
You know Destiny Child Christmas.
Speaker 6 (58:53):
You know.
Speaker 1 (58:55):
Christmas music going, and you came out one of my
favorite Christmas something. It's not really the songs when dmxi
uh Rudolph. We do that in my household, and obviously
family dinner is a huge thing. They play spades. I
do not know how to play spades. I know I'm
(59:16):
grown and I do not know how to play spades.
Speaker 3 (59:18):
But uh, that is a tradition in the Williams Simley
go ahead.
Speaker 4 (59:23):
Since you were talking about music, you have to play
I always play now for the past few years, the
Patty label version of this Christmas.
Speaker 7 (59:32):
Like what I kill cards and backbound singers.
Speaker 5 (59:35):
Haven't please listen to it? Like the Legend label is.
Speaker 3 (59:40):
Amazing funny performance.
Speaker 5 (59:42):
She did not words, she had her background singers or
her cue cards. So shout out to Patty.
Speaker 1 (59:48):
Where's my singers?
Speaker 8 (59:53):
Sometow that like for real Brial, that Patty LaBelle performance
goes hand in hand with Shirley Caesar at Thanksgiving because
every Thanksgiving now for the last three years, you gotta play.
I got Thiens even has her in the commercial.
Speaker 3 (01:00:11):
Now, I love Maria me.
Speaker 1 (01:00:13):
No Mariah Carey owns Christmas, so you obviously gotta listen.
Speaker 3 (01:00:17):
To no Mariah Carey disrespect. I love Christmas.
Speaker 1 (01:00:23):
So to everyone out there, happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy
Quanta if you celebrate, or just happy Holidays. If you're
not in the holiday spirit, I just hope that you're
with people you love and just having a good time
during this season. And yeah, I want to thank you
guys again for coming on the show this week.
Speaker 3 (01:00:41):
Next week we look at.
Speaker 1 (01:00:43):
Some of more top moments and we find out what
the number one moment of the year is. So don't
forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast Peace Peace.
Speaker 3 (01:01:00):
In case you missed it.
Speaker 1 (01:01:01):
With Christina Williams is an iHeart women's sports production in
partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Host
Khristina Williams
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