A'ja Wilson, Roster Shakeups & Canada’s W Hoops Era

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 to another episode of In Case You
Missed It with Christina Williams. Here on Iheartwomen's Sports and
WNBA fans, I know that you are rejoicing because preseason

(00:25):
basketball is here, and it's on national TV and we
get to watch some damn good basketball. Also, we're entering
into the second week of WNBA training camp and this
part of the season, honestly, could be very heartbreaking because
for some fans, some of your favorite players might not
make the roster, they might get waived, and for some

(00:47):
players on the other end, it might not be the
end of their journey. And so I want you guys
to in hell penexl because this is going to be
one heck of a week and the WNBA as teams
begin to finalize their rosters. So joining me this week
to break down the latest headlines in and around women's

(01:10):
basketball and also to give us some of the inside
group from the Las Vegas Aces training camp is my girl,
Callie Finn. She is a reporter for the Las Vegas
Review Journal and I'm excited to get to talk to her.
And then later on in the show, we have a
special treat because we're gonna be talking all things WNBA

(01:31):
expansion and what we can expect in twenty twenty six
from the Toronto Tempo team president Teresa Rice. She's going
to join the show to break it all down. So
don't go anywhere So about brother Ado. Let us welcome
in Callie Finn to break down the latest and the headlines. Callie,

(01:51):
welcome to the show.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Don have you then, like, how's how's everything?

Speaker 2 (01:58):
You know, I've been great. I'm I've been like patiently
waiting for WBA season. Being a reporter for a newspaper
so wild because like covering the WNBA, Like there are
so few reporters that have that as like their sole responsibilities.
And so I mean I covered the whole college football
season for you and all the then men's and women's basketball,
and I've just been like, what are the ases going

(02:19):
to start? And finally we're here. So I'm so excited
because this is like the most fun part of the job.

Speaker 1 (02:24):
Yeah, I agree. I'm always like whenever we have the
off season, I'm like, I can't wait until the first
day of the w All right, so making headlines this week,
I guess we'll start with Asia Wilson. How can we
not start with her? Nike unveiled the official commercial ads
for Asia Wilson's signature basketball shoot, the A Ones. First

(02:44):
of all, did you see the ads on social media?

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yes? Oh my goodness. I actually got to see it
for the first time on TV during a playoff NBA
playoff game because I wasn't on social media at all,
like over the weekend, so we were just watching TV
and I saw it and I was like, holy crap.
And to see it on TV, I think is the
best experience because you can really like take in the scope,
like this is a magnificent storytelling effort. It's really it's

(03:10):
a great representation of like who Asia Wilson is. I
feel like you can watch that commercial and not know
anything about her and like become a fan. That's what
Nike commercials are supposed to do. So I'm like, I
love it.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
I love it absolutely well. My first time seeing he
was scrolling up on social media. It went viral on
social media and I was like, this is what the
game has been missing. That authentic storytelling. As you said,
Nike did a great job. But I did a little
digging and I found out that the commercial was directed
by Jin Kuu, who worked with Beyonce on Brown Skinned Girls,

(03:45):
and then Malia Obama also direct it one of the
ad spots as well. So I love the black girl magic.
I love to see women in those positions. But as
you mentioned, the Nike commercial was kind of a homage
to her lineage. I saw that there was little nuggets
and in the commercials you had her parents there. She

(04:07):
paid homage to her grandmother. Don Staley was in the
commercial as well. But for me, it felt nostalgic. It
felt like an ode to black girlhood, and so I
really enjoyed that. I feel like we haven't seen a
Nike commercial like this since the early nineties, going back

(04:28):
to like Cheryl swoops. But she got next. So I
thoroughly enjoyed seeing great storytelling all around. And I'm excited
for her shoe. Everyone got too to a pink auras,
but kudos to Asia Wilson and that's a huge feat
to be able to get your own Nike signature shoe.

(04:49):
She's definitely changing the game.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
Yeah, It's so funny too, because I went to South
Carolina for her South Carolina, Georgia retirement, and like that
weekend was so much about family and her heritage and
so many beautiful things were like celebrated during that weekend.
But she was also kind of celebrating the upcoming launch
of her A one show. So Nike threw some events.
They threw like a family event, and I got to

(05:12):
go to that, and then I remember overhearing like somebody
also like a media member before I got to the event,
saying like I think I think that they're shooting something,
like there's like A's just here, her family's here. I
think they're shooting something. And I saw Malia Obama in
the lobby of my hotel and I'm like what And
I know that she's in film, and so I'm like

(05:33):
putting two and two together, I'm like, this has to
be like promotional for the A one. So I asked
someone at Nike when I was at the family event.
I'm like, hey, like, you guys are suit in commercial
and I'm like talking all about it and all this stuff,
and the Nike person was like what, no, no, no,
that's that sounds crazy and I'm like, oh okay, Like
I'm like, yeah, okay, that's completely crazy, but I knew it.

(05:55):
I knew it, So I'm so glad that it came out,
and like we all get to relish in it because
it's so good and I'm good they kept it under
wraps as much as they could.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
Yeah, shoutout to Asis team and Nike for being able
over the last few years, not only keeping the fact
that she had a signature shoot a secret, but there
almost have been no leaks of her shoe for the
for the most part, for the most part, there's been
no leaks, So shout I'm just so proud of her
because she deserves and we talk about the superstars of
the w Asha Wilson obviously, three time MVP is right

(06:24):
up there, and so her business portfolio and her endorsements
should match her accolades. So I'm so proud of her.
All Right, Kelly, let's move on to the next thing.
Let's go inside of the Las Vegas Aces training camp.
I know you've been with the team a lot. In
week one. What are some things that stand out to
you about this Las Vegas Aces team.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
I mean, I think, oh, raw, big ticket, it's just
how monks they keep talking about the energy of this
training camping different from last year. I mean last year
was my first year covering the team on a day
to day basis, and I cannot stress to you how
often it was mentioned that, like things were off from
day one of training camp last season, and I think
you could see that on the court, like there were

(07:06):
times when you're like, they have the personnel to like
win this and be dominating that they're not. They don't
look like the aces that we've seen a lot of
that was like energy and effort, and those are like
those intangible things that are not always like fun to
talk about when we're talking about sports, but you could
see it with the aces last year. This year, literally
from day one to training camp, everybody was like, wow,

(07:26):
this is so different from last year. Like the competitive
energy is there. Everybody seems grateful to be here. That's
something that Becky Hamon and Ajel Wilson both said, which
I thought was interesting, But like you can see that.
I think a lot of that has to do with
like the newcomers that they brought in the draft SE's
and then even like the training camp contract signees. These
people are hungry like they want to make the team,
and I think that that changes the environment. It's like,

(07:49):
I think it's gonna help. I mean, you saw the
preseason game that they just played against the Wings that
Notre Dame. That looked like a regular season game, you know,
and obviously, like you can't pull too much of that
because it's not a real regular season competition, But like,
I like what I saw, and that's kind of like
what I've been seeing at training camp.

Speaker 1 (08:06):
That's absolutely interesting that you say that. And we'll get
into the preseason games a little bit later. But in
the off season, the Aces made some additions and subtractions,
most noticeably obviously that blockbuster trade at sant Jewel Lloyd
from Seattle to Las Vegas eighth and Kelsey Qualm to
La They also lost Lark Tiffany Hayes Saint Coulson, who

(08:26):
was really a lot of energy for that Aces team.
When you think about the additions and the pieces that
they lost, how do you see these new pieces kind
of fitting into Beckinghamon's system.

Speaker 2 (08:37):
Well, I was just telling somebody else, I mean Aliah
and I really stands out to me. She was their
number thirteen pick and she is like the pinnacle of
like the three and D player that you would want
and that the Aces kind of need, and I feel
like they at their best, they've had some people fill
that role really seamlessly, Like Alicia Clark did that really well.
It was like she's gonna make an open shot, but

(08:59):
she's also really smart defender, and that really spreads the
floor for the team. So I think watching leeh and
I in practice and then also see you in that
preseason game, like she as soon as she got in
she uh had a steal, leaked out for to get
the ball, and then it was like as soon as
she was passed the ball, immediate make and she was
just like scoring machine. Seventeen points in your debut as

(09:21):
a rookie is like significant. I feel like we're like
talking about it, but we should be talking about it more.
Like she looked like a pro out there. Obviously, this
is no surprise, like she was a shooter at Alabama.
She holds there like three point like season scoring record
and all that, so this is not a surprise. But
it's like the Aces should be taking her seriously, and

(09:44):
I mean don't. I don't know how you don't give
her a roster spot, so she's somebody. Also Crystal Bradford,
like she is someone who just came off of like
a really impressive Athletes Unlimited season, but she has like
an energy that I think could be so interesting for
the Aces because.

Speaker 1 (09:59):
Yeah, Crystal, Crystal Radford is my gog okay, so you
are exactly.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
I really like her energy and like what she brings
on the boards even like that's big. Those are like
you can't want to gain not rebound me. So I
think that those are the two that really stand out
to me. But I mean this is not to say that,
Like I mean, there's so many, like you mentioned, like
draft ees, and there's a lot to unpack when you

(10:27):
look at the roster, Like even with Jewel Lloyd, you know,
we're not seeing like what we're going to see from her,
Like yes, that was her debut with the Aces, but
everyone I've spoken to in that building is like, we're
going to unleash a new Jewel Lloyd that nobody's seen
and I'm excited to see that. I mean I can imagine,
like we know what Jewel Lloyd is capable of. She

(10:48):
was a twenty twenty three scoring champ, Like he is
not someone to be we played out. She's definitely gonna
make this team better. That's something that like, I think
a lot of people kind of gloss over when they
look at the change things that made the like yeah,
they are Jowel Lloyd, but you know, and it's like,
I don't think there's be aning butts like that's gonna
make a huge difference. So I mean, overall, those are
kind of like the big ticket additions to me.

Speaker 1 (11:11):
Yeah, and I'm super excited about the Aces this season obviously,
because you have Chelsea Gray who's going to be at
full strength, who was dealing with a little bit of
an injury last season. Kia Stokes as well was dealing
with some rehab as well last season. Jackie Young in
the off season at unleveled was also dealing with some
injuries and trying to get back, so it looked like
they were in mid season form honestly playing in the

(11:33):
preseason game. I'm also excited to see Liz Kittley and
how she fits into the system. She missed the entire
season last year, So there's a lot of pieces that
I'm excited to see personally. But I think that the Aces,
when they're healthy, they can be dangerous because they have
Asia Wilson. It starts and ends with Asia Wilson, I
think obviously on both sides of the floor and her

(11:53):
impact and what she can do. And we had a
dinner with Asia Wilson courtesy of Boardroom at the Final four,
and Asia did a panel or a fireside chat with
Sydney Coleson and she was just like, look, I'm coming
for everything this season. And so if you thought last
year she she turns it up a notch, I think
that this year we'll see a different side of Asia

(12:15):
as well. But she definitely looks so confident, she's locked
in and I'm excited to see what this Las Vegas
Aces can do. So the ACE has also made some
coaching changes and made some new additions to the coach
and staff on the bench. I think it's interesting that
Beckinghamon added a lot of coaches with NBA experience. What

(12:37):
have you been seeing in terms of the development so
far of some of the players and how they're working
and adjusting with these new coaches.

Speaker 2 (12:44):
Yeah, I mean, I think what's stands out to me
is the way, like her relationship with the coaches that
she added, Like, didn't you like it's impacting the team
before they eat them, like step foot on the corporate practices,
like when they are looking for players to send in
training camp invites to like Lucas the third he's one
of the new player development coaches, and he like trained

(13:06):
Daijah Kelly, like has experienced working with Dejah Kelly. So
then when the ACIST sent out a training camp invite
to Dejah Kelly, it's like, oh, that makes sense. They
have a pre existing relationship he can continue to work
with and like develop. That's like a real key for Becky.
She and I spoke before this season about like in
the WNBA it being so difficult to develop talent that

(13:26):
you see potential in whereas like coming from where she's
coming from in the NBA is not a problem at
all because they have the G League, they have you know,
injury resort, like you can do with all of these
things that you can't necessarily do in the WNBA. So
I think that like the addition to the staff like
is key because they're going to try to like replicate

(13:47):
some of those aspects that you see in the NBA.
And that's also been a really successful model for her.
And you know, previous seasons like you looking now in
the Kase Tyler Marsh they also came from the NBA,
just like Becky did. So I think that like the
main thing, and this is something I remember even for
my first sason covering the Aces, is that everybody who
comes in Who's new talks about how it's like learning

(14:09):
a new language. Like they talk about defense, and they
talk about you know, offensive schemes a lot differently than
other WBA teams do because they're using NBA terminology and
they're approaching it the way that an NBA team would.
And like I remember even watching an interview where Cannis
Parker was like I needed like some time to adapt
to that, and like for Canni's Parker to say that

(14:30):
who was like the goat of goats in my book,
like that says something about what that adjustment period is like.
But you can see how her new additions are like
shepherding you know, everybody through it. And so I think
that that's going to be really interesting to watch, you know,
it's interesting.

Speaker 1 (14:46):
I mean I talked about Betty with DASA a while
back when I did one of the cover stories with
w SLAM, and she was one of my interview subjects
and she and she did say how much you learned
from coach Pop and how she was going to bring
that into the w NBA. And as you said that
it is a recipe for success when you look at
her previous coaching staff and the model that she's implementing
in Las Vegas. Other teams like the New York Liberty

(15:07):
are starting to do that as well. They added Tony
Rahman to their coaching staff, who's a defensive specialist. And
I had this conversation with Cheryl Reeve a while back
about the w NBA, as Becky said, not being a
place necessarily where players can get developed. So it's very
interesting to see how the game has evolved over the
last two years or so where teams are starting to

(15:30):
prioritize that where And I think it gives a little
bit of relief to the players right where you're coming in.
Obviously your professional athlete, you're going to do your best,
but just to have that room to develop and grow,
I think helps the team and helps the team's success
as well. So I'm excited to see how that works
out with all of the different coaching changes in Las Vegas.

(15:54):
're ever going to take a quick pause and when
we get back, We're going to break down more headlines
and around the wa with CALLI fans. Stay with us.
The next topic is about the Golden State Valkyries waving

(16:14):
the number seventeen overall pick in Chyenne Sellers. Fans were
completely outraged by this pick. So, if you're listening, guys,
trading camp is really tough. Some of your favorite players
might be waved, but that's not the end all be
all to that person's journey. Wave players can get picked
up by other teams. We've seen a lot of injuries

(16:35):
happen are around the league, and so there is still
room in time for a player like Chayenne Sellers to
get picked up. Yeah, so do you think that it
was too soon a move for the Valkyries to let
go of Chyenne Sellers. Now, the fans were saying that
why didn't they let her play in a preseason game

(16:56):
on Tuesday? She deserved it. She deserved it. Coach Natalie
Nicasa said she wanted to bring some clarity to the issue.
She issued a statement to Kendrick Andrews at ESPN and
said that Chayanne picked up everything that they asked her,
and she did all the things, but they have to
choose the best twelve that's going to fit. And it

(17:17):
doesn't mean that it's the most talented player. It means
it's the best twelve.

Speaker 2 (17:22):
Yeah. No, I actually did see all that, and you know,
I get caught up quickly. So when I did lock
back on, I saw that I was genuinely confused. And
I try not to like judge or critique. That's something
I think being a beat writer teaches you because it's
like you're seeing people make tough decisions on a day
to day basis and like they know things that I
don't know and stuff like that. But from the outside
looking in, like I'm confused by that move you draft

(17:43):
Chiane Cellars, what was she like the number seven.

Speaker 1 (17:46):
Seventeen seventeen take? Like that's not nothing, you know, like
it's in to.

Speaker 2 (17:52):
Me, It's like why not, like see what you have?
And also like the explanation doesn't quite make sense to me,
Like you you just cited it. She says, like she
picked up everything that we asked her to, and it's
not about like she's not she's saying that, Like, you know,
Chianne Seller is not necessarily not one of the most
talented but she's not one of like the best, but

(18:12):
it's just it's confusing, and so I think that to me,
it makes me wonder, like what is really like the
driving factor behind the move. I feel like we don't
necessarily have that information, but I do think, like you said,
this is like it tis the season, like we're gonna
see a lot more like we just saw Bree haul

(18:32):
waved by the Indiana Fever. If she's not picked up
by another team, I'll be mad, you know what I mean.
And same thing if we as Chyanne Sellers. It's like,
those are players that you want to see in the league.
That's like the whole point of this. It's like players
that you're so excited to have watched in college and
you want to see a transition. This is why I
think a lot of times we talk about, you know,
league expansion, we need more teams and new cities, and

(18:54):
I'm like, we need roster expansion, Like just give give
us like two more raw spots. It would change everything,
especially now because the WBA is expanding the amount of
games they played in a season, So you're gonna ask
them to do more and put more shit on our
body with the same twelve maximum players, Like, that's kind

(19:14):
of kind of crazy. Again, not trying to judge, but
I just think it's like a little whild So yeah,
I thought that move was like just a little head scratching,
head scratching.

Speaker 1 (19:24):
Yeah. And Cheyenne Sellers her dad, Brad Sellers, also issued
a statement on X. He said, quote, bring in some
clarity to your questions. And he's referring to the fans
where we're like, what is the reason is she injured?
He says at Cyenne Teller's is one hundred percent healthy,
cleared by two different medical teams Terpswomen's Basketball and Valkyries
before training camp begins. Job is moving fine, playing well,

(19:46):
and make good relationships in the locker room, just like Maryland.
Back to work end quote. So her dad is clearing
the air real quick. He's like, look, I know that
she was dealing with a little bit of a knee
issue in college, but that's just simply not the case.
She cleared two medical teams and she's ready to play.
And So to your point on you talk about roster expansion,

(20:07):
I think that it's impossible to do right now because
of the current CDA. So as we know the current
CBA gives little to no wiggle room four teams to
go beyond that hard salary cap, and so that's probably
one of the things that's going to be negotiated in
the new CBA coming in twenty twenty six is to
ease off of that hard salary cap so that teams
are able to do that. And I think that once

(20:29):
there's more our teams are able to do more with
their salary, then you can talk about roster expansion. Also,
the CBA says the maximum game TA can play onder
the CBA is forty four games, and so the league
is going to take advantage of that, right, Like, why
not take advantage of the momentum bring it to forty
four games? But I think that if you bring the
rosters to fourteen or even fifteen players, maybe like the NBA,

(20:53):
then you have to increase the minutes. You can't play
a forty forty minute game. You have to increase a
little bit.

Speaker 3 (20:59):
Of the minute.

Speaker 1 (21:00):
I don't know if I agree with forty eight forty eight,
forty eight minutes and fifteen.

Speaker 2 (21:10):
I don't think that's necessary. I mean, I really I
think you look at a normal WBA season and you
can see, like the there's space for more players. Like, yes,
I it's tight, you know, forty minutes a time, But
like you have injuries, you have all these different things
that happen, like I don't think we need to make
the game longer. I don't. We don't think we need

(21:31):
to add any more like it.

Speaker 1 (21:33):
I agree with you that okay, So leave it at
leave it at forty, and use the extra three players
for injury reserve. They can practice with the team, learn
the schemes, just keep them in the pocket.

Speaker 2 (21:45):
They travel, they do all the.

Speaker 1 (21:47):
Things, and you just keep them DMP DMP until sometimes
where I'm not with it to a player. Maybe that's
that's where I'm at.

Speaker 2 (21:57):
Like people get sick, like I look at even like
like Jackie Young covering the Aces last season, like she
had I want to say, like at least three games
throughout the season where she was just like sick and
still playing. And I think maybe if you have like
a deeper roster, Jackie might have the confidence to be like, actually,
I will just be sick and set this one out.
Like you know, that's not even an injury. It's not
like a long term thing. It's just like one game

(22:18):
or something. But that's an opportunity for one of those
extra players to maybe come in and like make a difference.

Speaker 1 (22:24):
Yeah. And I had someone also ask me the other day.
They were like, well, why does a WNBA do three
rounds of the draft if you're not even sure if
the top players are going to make it onto a roster.
And I'm just like, look, that's beyond my pay grade
to answer, because it really doesn't make sense right to

(22:45):
do that. And every year players are fighting for a spot,
whether you have a protected contract, whether it's unguaranteed, whether
it's a training camp contract, you're fighting for a spot
every single year. Unless you're like at the top one
percent of players like the Asian Sives, the Brionna Stewart,
you know your contract is guaranteed, you ain't going nowhere.

(23:06):
It's like, what is the point? So hopefully they can
find some balance in twenty twenty six with the new
CBA to one be able to have a little bit
of security and also wiggle room to be able to
pay players what they deserve but also sign more talent.
All right, going into the next topic in and around
the league injury report, who's out and what's next? So

(23:28):
the latest player to suffer an injury, a season ending
injury is Katie Lou Samuelson or the Seattle Storm. She
suffered a torn acl in practice and so she joins
Georgia Horston who suffered the same injury and the off
season at applete unlimited and Nikomo Will also suffered a
similar injury. She's out for the season for the Storm,

(23:49):
so they're down three players right now. And what's unique
about this situation is Katie Luke got hurt while with
her WNBAT and so that means that they can either
waive her or they can kind of keep her with
the team. Either way, her contract is going to count

(24:11):
towards their overall salary cap. Or as a player like
Georgian Horsten who got injured in the off season not
with her WNBA team, they can suspend her and it
won't count towards the salary cap. So if I'm the
Seattle Storm and I'm down for the players, I think
that you know, you look at what you have in
terms of the training camp contract that you have signed,
but also who's going to be in that pool of

(24:32):
Wave players that can make an immediate impact and help.
So maybe the Storm they waited out until the end
of this week or mid week and they pick up
some players, we're going to be in the way talent pool.
What do you think about about the latest with the
Seattle Storm.

Speaker 2 (24:47):
Yeah, I mean, I think it's interesting because the Storms,
the team are like they have so much going for them,
even if you just look in the front court, you
know what I mean, Like they number two picked on
Nick Bolonga, Like they have the potential to have like
the US maybe post depth in the w BA to year,
you know what I mean. But you mentioned the injuries.
That's it's like it's a kind of a question mark

(25:09):
on like just how they'll proceed. And I think what
you're suggesting would be the best course of action. It's like,
wait to the end of this week because I bet
you there's gonna be a whole bunch of creds. I
even look at like the Aces guard situation, Like there's
a lot of guards on the Aces that could maybe
be appealing to the Storm depending on just how things
pan out with the Aces roster building. And like it's

(25:31):
not just the Aces, Like there are a few teams
if you look around the league where they have talent
that needs spots, and so I think, I don't know,
the Stormer to me, maybe are like kind of a
sleeper team. I know that, like in the trade losing
Jewel Lloyd, But like if you look at kind of
stuff they added, like oh Ushah Clark, who we were
just talking about earlier, and you know, they made some

(25:52):
really interesting moves, and so I think like they these
moves that they make to kind of replace their injured
players are going to determine kind of like where they
stand in like championship contention. Dare I say, I know
it sounds kind of crazy. I don't think anybody's talking
about the storm and in terms of like championship contention.
But I feel like if they make the right moves,
it's not out of the question. I don't know if

(26:14):
that's why it's crazy. That might be like a hot take.

Speaker 1 (26:16):
I mean it it's not far fetched, right. You have
Gak whose single handley was on a lot of people's
MVP lists in the votings last year, Skyler Diggins, who
is now back in her normal form. She's comfortable. We
saw a little bit of what they could do yesterday
against Connecticut and the preseason, and so you add Dominique

(26:37):
lalonga as Ezie as well. Those are some really solid
pieces to make a run. This is a defensive heavy team,
but they also have a lot to say on an
offensive end, so it's not far fits to think that
they can definitely contend. This is a team full of veterans.
Alicia Clark knows what it takes to win. Neko Gumaka
has been there before. She knows what it takes to win.
So president I think that they could possibly be a

(27:00):
sleeper team heading into this twenty twenty five season. Also
on the injury report. Over the weekend, the New York
Liberty hosted a media appreciation day, and to everyone listening,
I was supposed to be there. I was offered a
training camp contract, like when you turned it down in
you didn't show up to camp, and unfortunately I couldn't

(27:20):
show up to camp on the rest of the media members.
So I was having major fomo. But Jonathan Coleb in
a press conference addressed the media and talked about hinting
at suspending Benigja Laney Hamilton for the twenty twenty five season. Again,
I mentioned earlier that she suffered her knee injury at

(27:41):
Unrivaled and so if she is suspended. Going back to
that salary cap and looking at how the New York
Liberty would want to proceed, her salary would not count
against the New York Liberty's cap at all. And that's
one hundred and eighty five thousand dollars that you can
then spend on either a big named players or a
couple of players to get them onto that New York

(28:03):
Liberty roster. And from what I understand is if a
player is injured during their time in a mill and
Mill will cover their salary. I think that that's what. Yeah,
so this will win win. She still gets paid for
her season, and the New York Liberty can add some
major pieces to their roster to defend their title. And

(28:26):
so I think that with Benigelanne Hamilton being out, obviously
she was, She's a huge part of the DNA and
heart of the New York Liberty team defensively what she
can do on the offensive end as well, and so
obviously a huge loss. But when I look at the
roster and what and what they have in particular, you
have players like Marine Johannes who's returning, Rebecca Gartner as well,

(28:47):
I feel like Waoni Piebach will take a huge leap
this year. She was a huge part of that finals
game against Minnesota, and so it sucks that Benijelano Hamilton
will possibly out for the whole twenty twenty five season
with her injury, but I would rather her rehab get
better than rushing deck.

Speaker 2 (29:07):
Yeah, I'm with you. It's kind of like a it's
like a weird way to say it in the scope
of like an injury situation, but it's almost like a
gluttony of riches for the Liberty because, like you said,
they have like this money that they could potentially make
it a bit different, like you're the raigning champions and then
you can like make a huge edition. Obviously it's it's
a loss, but Benija was great and for them and

(29:29):
like contributed to that title. So I don't know, but
to me, it's like it's almost like the rich get richer,
you know what I mean, Like they they're already the
champions now they could potentially add somebody else. So I
don't know how that's gonna pan out, But I think
I mean, Jonathan coleb is like a really good GM obviously,
like he's been you know, WB executive the year or
stuff like that. He's gonna do something interesting.

Speaker 1 (29:51):
I know that Julie always has something up his sleeve.
But I think the overall thing and theme that I'm
getting to with this injury report is ACL injuries and
knee injuries are becoming very very common common these days
with NBA athletes, and I know that there's a lot
of science that goes behind it in terms of what

(30:13):
are you doing in off season and the injury history sneakers,
even in how athletes are fitted for the speakers in
different things. So I'm interested to seeing the science behind
all these ACL injuries. Georgia Amore also missing the twenty
twenty five season due to ACL injury as well, so
the Mystics might pick up another guard to fill that position,

(30:36):
maybe Shyanne Sellers. I don't know, but it's very interesting
to see that happening in and around the league. All Right,
So I want to move on to the w NBA
preseason reactions. There was a lot of really great games
over the weekend, started on Friday throughout Sunday. Some more
coming this week as well. The Mystics, they did well

(31:00):
against Indiana. They definitely held their own. That game went
to overtime. Now granted Indiana did not have Kitlyn Clark.
They do not have Kitlyn Clark. And I think that
what was funny about the debates that I was seeing
online was like Ceey Johnson wasn't trying to win the game,
but Stephanie White was trying to win the game.

Speaker 2 (31:17):
It's like that.

Speaker 1 (31:18):
It's it's a game, Like why wouldn't you want to
win and do everything you can to win. Some people
kind of criticize Stephanie White's usage of her starters in
preseason and wanted to see the rookies get a little
bit more burned. But that was a very exciting game.
I think that we saw great flashes from Song to
Centron as well. The mystics rookies were definitely holding it down.

Speaker 2 (31:41):
I think, yeah, I mean it's so funny. I said,
like Kiki are fin became like a huge subject after
that game. But stuff like that is like, I guess
why the league is fun, And I think it's funny
to see a rookie be kind of like on the
opposite end of the discussion of like aggression to the WBA,

(32:02):
like the physicality of the game and things like that.
But like part of that is like this is why
we watch Like these women are so physical and like
it's serious. You mentioned like you know this is preseason,
like the approaches were different.

Speaker 1 (32:15):
Lahl lah lah, Like.

Speaker 2 (32:16):
Everybody wants to win. I don't really care what the
coaches say, like they want to win. And even like
when you're seeing the Fever utilize their starters super heavily,
like Becky Hammond talked about that with the Aces against
the Dallas Wing. She played her starters really heavily and
afterward I asked her about it and she was like,
we're trying to get better, Like this is like one
of few opportunities to improve. If the starters are not

(32:39):
like firing at all cylinders, what are we gonna do?
Like the rookies are not gonna we can't even talk
about evaluating our reserves if our starters are not where
they need to be. So I think that, like this
is what we watch for. And that's a physic cool
thing about being a WBA fan or somebody that covers
a WNBA. You're watching preseason games and you're seeing stuff
that you might normally see in the regular season. It's

(32:59):
not like this in the NBA, in the m NBA,
as the people will say these preseason games are not
taken the same way. Preseason games in the NBA are
like an opportunity to maybe get a glimpse of like
the type of player that a team is getting. Like, no,
that's not what it's like in the w Like this
is like we're getting started, We're ramping up. And I

(33:20):
think that Mystic Speaver game was a great example.

Speaker 1 (33:24):
What of Kiki And I totally forgot about that, but
it's like a meme everywhere, Like yes, she was like
I'm not having a welcome to the w moment. She
just asserted herself and like I'm here now, what kind
of thing? So I love the aggression. I love this spiciness.
Indiana ended up winning that game over the Mystics in overtime.
Former ACES assistant.

Speaker 4 (33:44):
Ti marsh his Chicago's guy beat the Brazilian national team,
And I think what I loved about this game one
is the WNBA hinting at globalizing the game.

Speaker 2 (33:54):
Right.

Speaker 1 (33:55):
We know that some WBA players like Camilla Cardoza, she
plays on the national team, So being able to just
see a national team come in and kind of minute
what the NBA does. The NBA also does some of
these games as well in their preseason where they invite
a team from overseas to come and play in the
NBA in the preseason to get the teams ready. But
how great was it to see that big duo in

(34:16):
Angel Rees and Camilla back Elizabeth Williams who had a
really really solid season and Athletes Unlimited coming back off
of an injury, and then Haley vandlydth she made her
rookie preseason pro debut as well. So lots of great
flashes from the Chicago sky.

Speaker 2 (34:33):
Yeah, Keler Marsh was like a man with a plan,
you know, he took that job in Chicago, s guy
because he knew that there was like big potential in
that front court alone, you know what I mean. But
then they have like some really really exciting guards, like
you have Courtney Vanderslout and then you have Haley Bandlid
like potentially learning under her and all this, Like there's
such an interesting team and like you mentioned, it's just

(34:55):
like cool to see them. And then it's like the globalization,
but it's also like the it's like the continuation of
the college fandom, like going back to LSU aces, going
back to Notre Dame and you have, like the Fever
going to Iowa. Like those are things that I think
really bridge a gap for the w And that's how
like growth continues because college fans are the diehards, you know,

(35:18):
They're the ones that you know, they're wanting to see
their players succeed and continue as pros. And I think
it's a really smart move for so many teams in
the league to be embracing that and also embracing like
you mentioned, like these global teams and like global audiences.

Speaker 1 (35:34):
And I love if the Chicago's Guy this season and
often it acquire some really good vets. You mentioned Courtney Vandersloot.
She's obviously about to pass super this season if she
reaches that and all time and assists, and I feel
like the Chicago's Guy needed a plank guard who can
make post entry passes. You have to hear your bigs
in a way where it's effective and they can make
an impact. And who better else to get than Courtney

(35:56):
Vanders who won a championship in twenty twenty one with
the Sky. And then you bring in keya Nurse, Rebecca Allen,
all of these great vets who can teach the young players.
You know, the ropes in the ins and outs, and
also they have a lot in them and it can
still make an impact. Obviously, the New York Liberty is
gonna miss Courty Vandersloop, but they got a dog and
Natasha Cloud this past offseason as well. We talked about

(36:19):
Page a little bit earlier. What were your first impressions
of her pro debut?

Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yeah, I mean I think people will look at like
the ten points and be like, oh, that was a
quiet debut, but it wasn't. She looked really confident out there,
and like that's saying a lot like she she looked strong.
I think a lot of like the plays that she created.
I was like, yes, okay, this is a glimpse of
what we're gonna see. I just am like curious to
see how I want to see her and Arik A

(36:44):
Gombule more like, I don't feel like I got to
see a lot of Rik in that preseason game. So
that's kind of like where my curiosity remains with Page.
I think that's a huge key, Like that's a really
that's a lot of talent in your back court, so
it's like you want to see it at its best,
and obviously that wasn't going to be in the first
game that they played together. But I thought she looks great.

(37:06):
It was really cool to see her. There was like
one moment where she and Asia were lined up with
the free throw line and they were like joking, and
it was just like, dang, like this is crazy, Like
she's really in the league and like she's holding her own.
So I can't imagine looking at that debut and having
concerns about what Page will be able to accomplish in
the league.

Speaker 1 (37:25):
Yeah, and it looks like the Wings are still trying
to figure out how the offensive system is going to work.
They have eight new players on their team, there's only
three returning players, and so they have to figure it out.
They have a new coach as well, so there's a
lot of things that Chris Cloklane has to figure out
in terms of how he wants to create his system.
And so I think that obviously in preseason will see

(37:47):
them work out the clink the kinks. But a player
that surprised me with JJ Quinnoley oh yeah, boom that deepens. Yeah,
is just so confident and how she's moving on the
court very pro ready have missed the steps since college
and she doesn't make the team. I'm gonna be like,

(38:09):
what still of the draft, for sure, But I'm excited
to see how the Dallas Wings, just how they progress
over the season. Do I expect them to win a championship? No?
Do they have the pieces to contend? Yes, they acquired
DJ Nate Carrington, who.

Speaker 2 (38:28):
Made that face.

Speaker 1 (38:29):
They have the pieces. DJ Nate Carrington most improved player,
can play defense really well. Erique finally has a point
guard who can facilitate pass first, who's efficient. I feel
like Page doesn't necessarily have to have to score to
be effective. She can also play really really good defense
Maisha heinz Allen. They got to figure out where that's

(38:51):
gonna work. Obviously, I want to see Tierre McCowan be
a little bit more aggressive and just be more more
confident and and what she can do on the She
was a top pick in her draft class, and I
just want to see her have a breakout year as well.
But you know, it's to be determined what the Dallas Wings. Yeah,
all right. My final question for you, Kelly is I

(39:12):
like to end this segment with asking our guests to
tell me one thing that has brought them joy this week.

Speaker 5 (39:19):
So what's one thing that's brought you joy this week.
One thing that's brought me joy this week. I think
I'm gonna say it's that photo of Dejah Kelly that
resurfaced where she's posing with Becky Hammond as like a
really young girl, and then Becky Hammon showed it to
her at Hayes's practice and Deja looked so like embarrassed

(39:40):
by it, But that's so adorable to me.

Speaker 2 (39:42):
That's like what this is all about. I was like
that little girl being from Sacra Mino. We had the
monarchs when I was growing up, and that's how I
felt like around the women that made that team what
it was, and like that's that brings me joy. That's
like the whole point. You know, already chambers are the
time abut dubbing bass so important, but like it is like,

(40:04):
as a young black girl who loves sports to be
able to look up and see people from you know,
not just being like a black girl, but like they're
Becky Hammond, for example, is not black, but you get
what I'm saying. It's like these are women who aren't
cheating incredible things and you get to you know, it's aspirational,
and I think that that's just super fun. So for me,
Desha Kelly has like a little babyface. Just cheesing with

(40:26):
Becky Hammond brought me joy this week.

Speaker 1 (40:28):
Yeah, Dasha was on the show, I think in her
final week of being at Oregon, and she told that
story of seeing the San Antonio Stars when she was
younger and she went undrafted and everyone's like, oh, it's over,
it's over, and I'm like, wait, you don't know might
pick her up. So what a full circle moment that
was for Daisia to then get picked up and signed
to the Las Vegas Aces and kind of get to

(40:51):
learn from one of her heroes growing up. It kind
of brings it into more a tangible thing that if
you see it, you can definitely be in this league.
So what is that moment? I love that that brought
you joy this week? CALLI Thank you for joining us
this week on In Case you missed It with Christina Williams,
and thank you for helping me break down this week's headlines.

Speaker 2 (41:12):
Thanks Christina, this was so fun. We should do it again.

Speaker 1 (41:14):
You're always invited girl for sure. Make sure you follow
Kelly on all of her social media and check out
all of her latest work. With the Las Vegas Review Journal.
She's gonna be covering the Aces all season. So if
you're an Aces fan or if you're just a sports enthusiast,
make sure you tap in with Calli. Thank you so much.
Thanks all right, I just want to thank Calli again

(41:36):
for joining us this week to break down the headlines.
When we return to the show, we're gonna be joined
by Toronto Tempo president Teresa Rich, so stay with us.
As we know, the WNBA has never been more popular

(41:59):
and expansion plans are always so exciting. We know that
there are three new teams come into the WNBA within
the next two years. The Golden State Valkyries are debuting
this season and a few weeks actually, and in twenty
twenty six, the Toronto Tempo joins the league, as well
as the Portland expansion team. So to fill us in

(42:21):
on how things are coming together, is Toronto Tempo President
Teresa Rich. Welcome to the show, Excited to be here,
excited to have you. So we always start the show
with asking our guests their earliest basketball memory. So I
want to know what's your earliest basketball memory. What was
that thing that made you fall in love with the sports.

Speaker 6 (42:42):
So I grew up in rural Minnesota, like a country,
like twelve hundred people are my hometown. I have three siblings,
older brother, older sister, younger brother. And what I remember
is my dad had put a hoop on the top
of our garage and there was a driveway and then
there was the sidewalk, and then like the second driveway
before we go to the street. I remember being out

(43:04):
there playing lightning like knock out with my siblings, and
if you made the basket, it would swish and then
it hit the bottom of a garage and bounce.

Speaker 2 (43:13):
Back to you.

Speaker 3 (43:14):
So it's always really important that if you could make
make it.

Speaker 6 (43:17):
So those are my earliest memories played with my siblings,
and it was always that we drew a free throw
line and then if you could make it to the
three point of that mean you're on the other side
of the sidewalk. And I can still remember those those
different marks that we played together. And it was always
girls versus boys, because you know, the boys were the
oldest and the youngest and the girls were the middle,
so it was it was great. It was a lot
of fun growing up with them and playing. So those

(43:39):
are my earliest memories.

Speaker 1 (43:41):
So how does one go from growing up on a
farm in Minnesota to being a president of an expansion
w NBA team.

Speaker 6 (43:49):
Oh, man, I think it's been It's been a lot
of luck. But you know, luck is when preparation meets opportunity.
I firmly believe that. So I definitely I did no
I wanted to work in sports. Honestly, I thought i'd
work in agriculturalis what my entire family had done. I'm
six foot tall, so in a small town, I got
to play all the sports. Nobody got cut. And I

(44:12):
had a really great volleyball coach growing up, and she
did a great job of teaching me and a lot
of my classmates about the game. And I ended up
playing in university, and there was really the first time
I realized, like, you can have a career in sports
that's not being a coach or a player. So at
that point I was at Division two school, I was like, Okay,
I knew that I wasn't going to be an athlete

(44:33):
or a professional athlete of any kind. But I used
that experience to like just gain more of a worldview
of how the sports world works, and did a graduate
degree in Florida, and then did an internship as part
of that degree at Disease Wide World of Sports, and
that's where I first got exposed to basketball at a
professional level. So we hosted the draft combine. I ended

(44:54):
up getting a job there through that connection at the
league office, so I had my first job ever, full
time career job at the age.

Speaker 3 (45:03):
Of twenty six.

Speaker 6 (45:04):
So I got a little late start, but moved to
New York City and that's been my career in sport
and specifically basketball started, and it's been an incredible journey.
I think more than anything, I have an incredible curiosity
and it served me well.

Speaker 3 (45:19):
I didn't realize that was kind of like one.

Speaker 6 (45:21):
Of my superpowers until more recently when I've realized, like
all those questions I've asked, all the curiosity I have
have really prepared me to sit in this chair because
man to be president of an expansion team, I've never
Many things that I do on a daily basis I've
never done before, but just like curiosity and the accumulation
of a lot of different experiences have really helped me

(45:43):
kind of manage what we're undertaking here at the tempo.

Speaker 1 (45:47):
It's so amazing how playing sports can prepare you for
like the c suite or to be an executive in sport,
and just your journey is just so interesting. I know
that a lot of WNBA fans are so excited for
this new expansion team coming to Canada in twenty twenty six.
I think it was proven in the WNBA preseason games

(46:08):
in Canada where they sold out in twenty minutes and
the big crowds that came out. What has these last
two years been like for you, just bringing together everything
to prepare the league for this new team.

Speaker 6 (46:21):
Yeah, it's been in an incredible experience. So, as I mentioned,
I'm from the States, but I moved here to work
for the Trial Raptors in twenty thirteen, so I've been
here for twelve years, got in my dual citizenship, and
it's an interesting culture up here, and it's very very
similar to any great North American city. But there's this
incredible pride, nationalism I guess about being Canadian and embracing

(46:47):
those things. And we've seen it play out up here
for years in just the way that they support their Olympians,
specifically female Olympians, in a way that you know isn't
necessarily the normal across the world, and they've never had
professional sports appear at all. There's been golf and tennis,
individual there was a hockey league that you know, fledgling

(47:11):
here and there, but in the last three years, the
entire landscape has changed. So the PWHL kicked off in
twenty January one of last year. The NSL Northern Super League,
which is a Canadian professional women's soccer league, kicked off
just last week and we're going to tip off in
twenty twenty six. So it's an incredible time to be

(47:33):
in women's sports in Canada and it's really your reflection
of the movement that's happening around the world. I knew
that through the research, we knew that this was going
to be successful. Like you mentioned, a couple sold out
preseason games. But what's been really exciting is how well
received everything we've done has been. We knew it would
be good, but this has exceeded all expectations. So now

(47:55):
we just can't wait to get some players and get
on the court.

Speaker 1 (47:58):
Absolutely, I love the eye idea of the Toronto temp
though being Canada's team, I know that you all will
play at the Coca colaam Coliseum, but the idea that
this is going to be Canada's team. Can you talk
about that?

Speaker 6 (48:11):
Yeah, we're really privileged to be able to do that.
So we talk about the Raptors and the Blue Jays.
They're definitely Canada's team because they're the only ones in
those professional sports. But they were always there right There
was the Expos, there was the Grizzlies, and we have
the opportunity to truly be Canada's team from the very beginning.
It was great to work with the league on that
as well. They saw the opportunity and provided us some

(48:35):
different rights to territories and commercial rights that they hadn't
granted to other teams through an agreement.

Speaker 3 (48:41):
So we're really looking forward to leaning into that.

Speaker 6 (48:44):
We look forward to playing regular season games outside of Toronto,
something that in other sports hadn't happened.

Speaker 3 (48:50):
But really excited this year August.

Speaker 6 (48:52):
Fifteenth, a regular season game between Seattle and Atlanta will
happen in Vancouver. So very excited that they're testing the waters.
A lot of excitement on the West Coast around WNBA.
So I'll be out there and hopefully a lot of
a lot of your listeners and fans will be out
there too. Chickets haven't gone on sales, so hopefully we
keep that run of selling out these these not preseason

(49:13):
games anymore, just games in Canada quickly.

Speaker 3 (49:16):
But yeah, be in Canada's team is.

Speaker 6 (49:18):
Really important because we believe we can be two things, right,
We can be aspirational.

Speaker 3 (49:26):
So many women have come to me that.

Speaker 6 (49:28):
Are really peers of mind, right, like late thirties, early forties,
that have said I never thought this would happened in
my lifetime, and I kind of look at them like, man,
we're young, Like you don't have more confidence in this.
But it's been really eye opening because even though they
are connected and played basketball, there's great infrastructure here. The
national team has been really competitive for years. There just
wasn't anybody that they could point to and see. So

(49:50):
very aspirational. And then the other thing is just young
next jed.

Speaker 4 (49:56):
Right.

Speaker 6 (49:56):
So you look at the Raptors organization I worked for,
and they talk about that effect that's had so thirty
years ago at launch, and you look at how many
Canadians are now in the NBA and how they were
impacted directly by the existence of the Raptors. So we
feel like the Temple is going to have that impact
as well on girls and women in this country.

Speaker 1 (50:17):
What's been the most fun part about the launch for you?

Speaker 6 (50:21):
Oh my gosh, too many to name. It's been incredible.
Like I said, so many, it's the feedback has been
so positive. I mean there's so many, but I'd say
like the little ones, like when you see tempo gear
like out in the wild, when you know it's not
someone that works for the tea and you see it

(50:43):
now I'm seeing it over and over again, Like that's
really cool. Like to see it and know that those
people have embraced your brand before there's any players or
any coaches or anything.

Speaker 3 (50:52):
That's been kind of a pinch me moment, might.

Speaker 1 (50:54):
Have to say from personal experience, I really love how
connected you all are to the community beyond just candid.
I know last year you all dat a campaign where
you had a couple of people, including myself, were some
of those Toronto Orange twitties and we were just talking
about this. I remember Donovan Mitchell stopping me at a
WNBA gameing like, hey, how did you get that sweatshirt?

Speaker 2 (51:14):
Can I get one?

Speaker 1 (51:15):
And just how tuned in everyone is from the NBA side,
f WNBA side, and from WNBA fans being already engaged.
So we all were there in December when the name
of the team leaked on the WNBA website. How did
you all pivot your strategy in terms of the name

(51:37):
launched when that happened.

Speaker 6 (51:40):
Yeah, you know, you this is sports, so you can
never predict what's going to happen. So it was great
as like we were ready for that, you know, like
to say we're totally ready as a false but like
we knew there was always a chance that it was
going to get out before we had planned it. And
the biggest thing is you can't push production. So there

(52:00):
was a point when we knew we'd have gear ready
and we didn't, But we still went because we thought
we had an incredible story to tell. We had a
really great video that could serve as really the launching spot.
We had a lot to talk about. We were excited
about the name, honestly, Like it ended up being about
six weeks prior to when we had originally planned. We

(52:21):
wanted to do the name and logo in line with
the merchandise when I was ready. So in a way,
I look back now and like, I don't know how
we would have kept it a secret over six more weeks.

Speaker 3 (52:32):
So things always play out the way they should have been.

Speaker 6 (52:35):
I think we had a great, great launch in December.
We were able to come after the new year and
talk about our very first partner, Sephora, and then a Humble,
and then the next week after that talk about our
great merch so we were able to get more hits.
So yeah, nothing goes as planned in sports. I think
we have to be ready to always pivot. But overall,
it was really well received. I mean, not everybody loved it.

(52:56):
I mean, if you have a name and everybody loves it,
you probably also did something wrong. But I think that
we had started that whole process focused on transparency. So
we had launched and Name your Team dot caa campaign
asked for people's inspiration. We have a podcast ourselves called
Bringing Home the w that follows the process every step.

Speaker 3 (53:18):
Of the way.

Speaker 6 (53:19):
We shared all the names and why we didn't choose
Home and really wanted to be transparent, and we just
kept that going throughout the process. And I think that
fans really appreciate that and they lean into it, and
they also get a little bit of an inside scoop of.

Speaker 2 (53:38):
How things work, you know.

Speaker 6 (53:40):
I think like they have a whole television series and
podcasts about how things work. People want to know, they
want to peek behind the curtains. So that's what we
were trying to do on the podcast, and I think
even though it wasn't on our timeline, it was the
right thing to do and it was well received and
we've been riding high ever since.

Speaker 3 (53:57):
I guess with a fast tempo.

Speaker 1 (54:00):
Of how you all are able to involve the fans
and the process and give them behind the scenes with
the podcast and all the different launches. What have you
guys learned from the Valkyries, Because this is a team
that has already been through the expansions, wrap been through
their first WNBAH REP and set to launch in a
couple of weeks. What have you guys learned from them

(54:21):
and watching their process?

Speaker 3 (54:22):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (54:23):
First, first, or foremost is they are incredible partners. There's
one thing that has has been really reassuring since since
we joined the league in May of last year, and
that is that we are all in it together. Leadership
on all the team, you know, I think it might
be a little different on the basketball side, to be honest,
but all the presidents I have dialogue with them they respond.

(54:46):
They are sharing of a lot of information and obviously,
like you said, the Valkyies are going through it a
year before us, so there's a lot of insights that
they've shared with us that have helped us along the way,
and we're going to do the same with Portland and
anybody else that joins the team, because we all know
know that we're better together.

Speaker 3 (55:01):
So it's it's great.

Speaker 1 (55:03):
One of the things that I recently saw that you
both have in common is the support partnership. The Valkyries
have their own separate support partnership and then you guys
have your Support Canada partnership. What does it mean to
you to have like a front facing pre d brand
sponsor a sports team.

Speaker 6 (55:20):
Yeah, we're really excited that we could announce them as
the very first partner of our team. It's a category
that a lot of times does not take front and
center of sports, but our alignment is so perfect and
they are very excited about it. They're very competitive, Like
you said, our partnerships with Sephora Canada. The Valkyries is

(55:42):
with Sephora US or North America. I'm not exactly sure
how they designate it. So they're competitive, competitive with each
other too, which I think just makes us all better.

Speaker 3 (55:50):
So we're a really excited to partner with them.

Speaker 6 (55:52):
We have lots of ways in that we can play
and it's been really well received by just the public too.
Like I think a lot of our our fan base
and belonging that's so important to them. Uh really, the
beauty of sport that's important to them is also important
to us. So what's great is that because we're expansion,

(56:13):
we can build together so a lot of different ideas
and ways to show up for both the team directly
as well as our fans. So it's you know, lots
to come there and stay tuned. But it was exciting
to highlight a category that is usually overlooked in sports sponsorships.

Speaker 1 (56:31):
In what ways can can our fans get a little
a little sneak peek of what to.

Speaker 6 (56:36):
No, I can't give away all the goods right now,
but you'll you'll see you'll see them show up in
ways across sport that you would you would expect, you know.
Like I said, belonging is an important part of what
they're about, and uh, we we love to lead into that.

Speaker 1 (56:55):
All right, chall I'm having so much fun with this
conversation with Teresa, But we gotta pay some bills, so
we're gonna take another quick break and when we get that,
the fun returns. Looking ahead to twenty twenty six, you

(57:16):
all hired Monica Wright Rogers as the general manager. She
comes from the Phoenix Mercury. Talk about that move and
what's the strategy going into twenty twenty six. One knowing
that there is a new CBA that's currently being negotiated,
and two also knowing that there gonna be a lot
of free agents next year, how do you approach that

(57:37):
as a new expansion team.

Speaker 6 (57:39):
Yeah, what a time to be in the w Right
like super exciting about the opportunity.

Speaker 3 (57:45):
We have to grow the game in Canada and build
a team.

Speaker 6 (57:49):
You know, I'll let Maka come on your show and
give you all the all the goods. But I think
generally the reason what we hired her and fell in
love with Monica is that she has a ton of
experience as a player, as a coach, as an administrator
of a talent evaluator, and she really believes in starting

(58:09):
a team with incredible people, both in the people that
she's hiring in the staff as well as the people
on the court. She stated many times that she's gonna
work very closely with the coach to figure out style
of play. You know, does that lead by what we want?
Is it led by players? Like you said, the economics
and the rules within what we play is there's a

(58:31):
potential for it to be changed. So you're not going
to make any assumptions until we know. But I don't
think there's a better time to be entering the league
than right now. So we're really excited about it. There's
some un certainty, which is always tricky, but it's overall
really exciting and excited to be abillity with Monica for sure.

Speaker 1 (58:48):
One of the things that I'm kind of interested in
hearing your perspective on is obviously in the US currently
there is a heightened social political cli i'mant right now,
and the relations between US and Canada you often see
so much in the news and the news and the news.

(59:08):
I'm not talking about tariffs, but like from a business perspective,
how do you see that kind of impacting the launch
of this Toronto Tempo team or the expand chain or
the relations.

Speaker 6 (59:19):
Yeah, it's interesting, Like the dynamic we were always going
to be different, right It was the first team ever
outside of the us SO team in Canada and specifically
Toronto is always going to be different. And I use
different on very very specifically, because it's not better or worse.
There's just certain things that are going to be different.

(59:40):
And I think you can probably say that about any
team in the league. New York is not Minneapolis, which
is not San Francisco, which is not Dallas, and so
the things that are different here just have to do
a lot with that. We're a different country and I
look forward to people exploring it. You know. Like I said,
I worked for the Raptor for eleven years and for

(01:00:00):
that all the teams had been there annually, right they
come to play a games wherever in the w as
I got to go to Final Four. Incredible experience and
just talking with people in the industry I was. I
was in Phoenix last year for the for the All
Star and in people that it was basketball. You know,
a lot of them haven't been up here. So I'm
really excited to play house to a lot of new
visitors to Canada and really tell them what it's all about,

(01:00:24):
show them what it's all about up here. Excited about
the opportunity to grow the game like we are a
global nation, so many new Canadians from all over the world,
and what's great is those people latch onto new and
exciting things in Canada. So we know that a quarter
of our fans are New Canadians, which means that they're
telling the wmba story or story across the globe. So

(01:00:48):
we truly want to be Canada's team, but more than anything,
we think that we're a gateway to the world for
this league.

Speaker 1 (01:00:52):
And lastly, before we let you get out of here,
what advice would you give someone who wants to one
day run a team or be in a position like yourself.

Speaker 6 (01:01:04):
Well, I would say that the great thing about sports
is there's never one path that leads you where you
want to go or where you're destined to go. So
I would just say, no matter what path you're on,
you're on the right path. Continue to work hard, work
ethic is so important, Be curious, ask the questions, You're

(01:01:24):
going to learn things around the along the way that
you never knew or valuable and tell you and tell
you can reach back and use them. And I guess
the third thing is it's like just be someone people
want to work with right, especially as a leader.

Speaker 3 (01:01:40):
Have empathy, have patience. I've learned those along the way.

Speaker 6 (01:01:43):
I didn't always have them, and think, you know, default
to the positive. You know, so many times we question
if people are really on your side, question their intentions,
but default of the positive, think the best of people,
and then ultimately act in that same way. So there's
no one way to get there, honestly, and what's great

(01:02:05):
about it is that there is no one way to
get there. So whatever path you're on, it's probably the
right path.

Speaker 1 (01:02:10):
I love that, Teresa. I want to thank you for
joining us for our fan focused episode. I know all
the fans listening are definitely excited about the Toronto Tempo
coming to the WNBA in twenty twenty six. We appreciate
your time.

Speaker 3 (01:02:23):
Thanks so much for all of you do to tell
the story of the WNBA.

Speaker 6 (01:02:26):
Like That's another thing I've said is, you know, we
have low hanging fruit here that we're going to be successful,
but to truly optimize opportunity, we need more than just
the tempo telling our story. So thank you for giving
me the platform to talk about the tempo today.

Speaker 1 (01:02:38):
You're welcome and you're always welcome here, all right, that's
going to do it. For this week's episode, I want
to thank my girl Kelly Finn coming through to break
down the headlines, and Teresa Rice again for giving us
a little bit of a sneak peek of what to
expect from the Toronto Tempo in twenty twenty six. If
you like this podcast, make sure you rate, review, and

(01:03:00):
subscribe to the show. Next week, we're gonna be breaking
down and previewing the twenty twenty five WNBA season, so
you want to make sure that you don't miss anything,
So walk in with us and I'll see you back
here next week. In case you missed it, with Christina
Williams is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with

(01:03:22):
Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Host

Khristina Williams

Popular Podcasts

Dateline NBC

24/7 News: The Latest

Therapy Gecko

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;} A'ja Wilson, Roster Shakeups & Canada’s W Hoops Era