Selection Sunday Preview with Chelsea Sherrod and Deja Kelly

With Selection Sunday around the corner, In Case You Missed It is back, Khristina is breaking down all things women’s college basketball. SNY host and sideline reporter Chelsea Sherrod joins the show to discuss UConn’s dominance, the shifting landscape of the Big East, and what to expect from this year’s NCAA tournament. Plus, Oregon’s Deja Kelly stops by to reflect on her journey—from rediscovering her love for the game to preparing for the WNBA Draft and how the Ducks are preparing for Selection Sunday.

 

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 

 

Let us know what you think of the show by leaving a rating and a review! 

 

CREDITS

Executive Producers:

Nikki Ettore 

Jessie Katz

Tyler Klang

Jonathan Strickland

Producer:

Mike Coscarelli

Producer & Editor:

Tari Harrison

Host:

Khristina Williams

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

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 edition of In Case You
Missed It with Christina Williams. And I know it's been
three long weeks, y'all, but I'm so happy to be

(00:24):
back and better than ever. It's been a long, long week.
Your girl had her birthday last week, and I spent
it in Puerto Rico. So much fun in the sun,
much needed reset. But I'm back and March madness is
slowly creeping up upon us. And I'm super excited about

(00:44):
this week's guest because Selection Sunday is coming up as well,
and this week's guest she's gonna help me break down
all of what's happening in and around women's college basketball.
She is a friend to the show, so please welcome
back to the show. S and Y host in sideline
reporter Chelsea Charad to the show.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Chelsea, I am so happy to be back. This is
one of my favorite things to do, and it's a
good way for us to just, you know, catch up
because they're both kind of all over the place at
this point in the year. So I'm really excited to
be here. Thanks for having.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
Me, Thanks for coming back, girl. I know there's so
much to talk about. I know that the Big East
just won. Yukon just won the championship for the Big East.
So let's start there, break down the incredible season that
Yukon has been having this year.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yeah, I think that the Big East Tournament, especially the
championship game, pretty much was just a culmination of the
dominance that Yukon has displayed all season in the Big East.
I mean, they went undefeated in the regular season and
then they won each game in the tournament by at
least twenty twenty or twenty points, so they won by

(01:58):
about twenty yesterday. But yeah, I think, as everyone knows,
like in the Big East, Yukon, there's obviously a big
gap between them and everyone else. They played Creighton in
the championship, and Creighton had a great year. They were
number two in the conference, and so obviously that's the
best matchup that Yukon was going to see in the conference,

(02:18):
and that's how it should have been in the championship.
But I think from where this team started this season,
where there was a lot of uncertainty as to who's
going to start, what does the starting rotation look like.
They had a lot of young players. Azy Fud wasn't
one hundred percent, Aurey Griffin wasn't back, and so they
had a lot of things that they needed to figure out.

(02:41):
But I think the fact that they were able to
be so dominant in the conference kind of, I guess
just was like a reminder of Okay, this is Yukon basketball.

Speaker 3 (02:50):
But I'm sure it.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Felt really good for them, especially over the weekend, to
kind of be playing their best basketball at.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
The right time.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Absolutely, And you know is champions Week, UCLA has won
the first Big Ten title in their first year in
that conference. TCU Haley Manlyft she kind of had like
a revenge or was able to lead her team to
their conference championship. We talked about Yukon South Carolina's dominating
the SEC, the defending champions, and Duke with the ACC.

(03:21):
How do you feel the Big East compares to those
other conferences?

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah, I mean that's a really great question, Christina, and
that's been a question that has been asked all year,
And to be frank, the Big East doesn't necessarily stack
up with conferences like the ACC. The ACC or the SEC,
and I think that part of that has to do with,
you know, the transfer portal. I think that with the

(03:47):
growth of women's basketball, we're seeing other teams grow.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
There are you know, other.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
Big name coaches out there who are able to recruit
certain types of players. And this is all great for
the game, This is great for sport, but unfortunately, I
think that the Big East just isn't exactly where it
was years ago.

Speaker 3 (04:07):
And Yukon's been dominant for so long.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
We were talking about how they won their twelfth Biggiest
Conference championship yesterday, but the competition lovel just isn't there.
And that's been a question mark for Yukon going into
the tournament because it's like, how high was the competition
throughout the regular season? What do these wins actually mean
or what do they actually show if you're able to
run through your conference winning by twenty twenty five points

(04:32):
every night. And so I think the answer to that
was when we saw them playing some non conference opponents
and granted they got that huge and over South Carolina
and everything was firing on all cylinders for them in
that game, and I think that kind of came from
them losing those games to USC, to Notre Dame, to Tennessee,

(04:52):
and so, yeah, the biggiest it's not where it used
to be, and I don't think it's where it needs
to be. And you can ask any biggiest coach and
they will tell you this day exact thing. Joe Tardamella
from Saint John's actually was asked that after the quarterfinals
game against Yukon, and he talked about the portal, and
he talked about just recruiting, and I think, you know,
maybe there just needs to be a reset, so to speak,

(05:14):
to try to build up the competitive level because every year, granted,
these teams are going to, you know, fight for what
they can and put out their best effort. You don't
want to go into a season and saying it's Yukon
here and then everyone else is here like that doesn't
really help anyone. So I'm kind of hoping moving forward
that the Big East gets a little bit better.

Speaker 3 (05:35):
I guess that's the right word.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
Well, we certainly see how the shift and realignment of
conferences has helped teams like UCLA and USC, So hopefully,
you know, the competitive nature of the Big East can
get back to the glory days. Yeah, but looking ahead
to what's happening here in March, and obviously all talks
are on Pagebeckers, who is projected to be number one

(06:00):
pick in the twenty twenty five WNBAH draft. I mean
you've covered this team all season long. Where do you
see Pagebeckers ranking among the Yukon gretes?

Speaker 2 (06:10):
Oh man? I mean Pages up there with the best
of the best. I mean everyone has their Yukon Mountain Rushmore.
I mean Mount rush Rushmore will look very different from
another person's Fountain Rushmore. But Paige is one of the
best players to have played at Yukon. Page has gone
through a lot in her career as far as injuries,
as far as you know COVID injuries to her teammates.

(06:33):
We talk about how little she and Asy have even
played games together. But Page is incredible. I mean, she's
a two thousand point scorer. She's, you know, the fastest
Husky to get there. I think she tied Maya Moore
to get to like a thousand or something as the fastest.
But Page has missed like fifty nine games in her career,
and for her to be able to reach these milestones

(06:54):
and to be climbing the all time scoring list, and
even in the Big East Tournament. I mean, she was
named most out Standing Player for the third time. No
other Husky has done that. And when you go down
the list of the incredible players that have played there,
which is like a thousand of them, it's kind of
wild that Page was able to do that, given how

(07:14):
her career went, given you know, the team that she
was surrounded by. I think that Page is one of
the best playmakers to come out of Yukon. I definitely
put her in my top three, So I think that
she's very high up on that list. I think that
if you asked Gino, he'd probably say the exact same.
The difference with Paige and players like Maya more Stewie,

(07:39):
Diana Tarazzi, Sue Bird is that she hasn't won a
national championship yet, and so that could be something that
people will use in an argument to say maybe she's
not among the greats. I would disagree, obviously. When you
go to Yukon, it's national championship or bust. But for
her to be there when a you know, conference tournament

(08:00):
championship every year, she's there, to be able to reach
these scoring milestones and some of these awards that she's been.

Speaker 3 (08:07):
Able to win. I think she has to be up there.

Speaker 1 (08:10):
I think she has to be I agree. I think
she's definitely up there. And when we think about great
college players, this is something I spoke to Simona Augustus
about one of the earlier episodes, and she talked about
how she never wanted LSU, but we still see her
as one of the greatest to come out of LSU.
I mean, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
People talk about great players who've never won. Kitlyn Clark

(08:30):
has never won a championship, a national title, but she
is ranked among one of the greatest women's college basketball players,
and so do championships measure greatness? I think it's situational.
I think it's very situational. But I think about Paige
Becker's and what she was able to do with an
injured Yukon team last season, leading them to reach the

(08:52):
Final Four with limited players on that roster. Looking back
at that loss against Iowa and now we see this
new and refreshed Yukon team coming into March, what should
people look out for?

Speaker 2 (09:05):
Oh Man, I think that the biggest difference between Yukon
this year and the Yukon last year who lost to
Iowa in the Final four is death. They basically were
like limping their way to the final four. No one
had them. I made this joke all the time because
I tweeted. I was like, you know, I got to
have Yukon making it to the final four when I
first put out my bracket and I was like, wow,

(09:26):
no one believed me. And granted I was probably crazy
for thinking that, but they were so depleted. So I
think that this year their biggest advantage is their death.
And so I think one thing to pay attention to,
and we saw this in the South Carolina game is
the Big three Number one Paige Becker, Sarah Strong, and
Azy Fud. I mean having Asy Fud out there is

(09:48):
kind of like a cheat code anyway, because when you
think about it, she can shoot better than a lot
of players that I have seen, Like her shot is
like on auto, Like it's so crazy how quickly it
comes out of her hands. But you have like Page
as the first option, maybe Sarah as the second option,
and then you got Asy outside like on the wing.
That's really hard for teams to guard, especially when they're

(10:08):
hitting shots. So I think the depth for them, especially
as far as the guard play is concerned, is going
to be huge for them during the tournament. So I
think that's something to look out for. If they are
hitting their shots. That's one thing that we've seen with Yukon.
Sometimes they'll go on these scoring droughts and it'll be
like three or four minutes and they haven't hit a basket,

(10:29):
and that's something that we saw on the Biggiest Tournament,
and that's something that they're going to have to work on,
especially if they want to make a deep run into
the tournament. Their biggest demise is there inside game. I
think that could be something to also look out for,
only because that is something that's been a bit of
a challenge for them because they're so young. Inside, they

(10:52):
do have Aubrey Griffin who returned from acl injury. Over
the past few weeks, she's looked really good. I think
she's kind of back to where we all have seen
Aubrey at that level. But she didn't play in the
tournament and Gino said that it was because of soreness
and they want to arrest her for her to be
one hundred percent. But without Aubrey they have Jenna Laffi,
who's about a six five six to sixth center from Egypt,

(11:15):
and they have Ice Brady, who is a sophomore, a
red shirt sophomore, and Ice is I think that her
path this season hasn't necessarily been linear. She's dealt with
some injuries and I think that she's also dealt with
some challenges as far as what her confidence look looks like.
And I think that's because she hasn't played a lot
of games and gotten into a group. Janna can get

(11:36):
into foul trouble. We've seen it a lot in the
Big East. But the one thing for Jana that I
think could be to her benefit is that when they
play these bigger teams and these bigger matchups, she thrives.
Maybe it's because they're letting them play a little bit
more in the post and then box a little bit.
But without that, if she does get into fool trouble,
that can be tough. So two things to look out

(11:57):
for their death, especially at the guard position, and then
also kind of how they're big show up in the tournament.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
Absolutely and looking ahead to selection Sunday. What is exciting
you the most overall about March madness.

Speaker 2 (12:11):
Oh, I think in Christina, I'm sure you probably could
agree with this. I think the best or the coolest
thing about this year is that for me, I feel
like and then conversations that I've had with colleagues and
things like that, I feel like the field is open
where I think there's about six to eight teams that
could potentially make it to the championship game, win the Natty.

(12:34):
So it's like, I think that's probably the best part
about it because you don't know who it's going to be.
On any given night, someone can go down. I know
over the past couple of weeks we saw some you know,
big losses to some of these top teams by some
of these top teams. So I think that's the coolest
thing is that you just don't know who it's going
to be. And I think years ago, you know, you

(12:55):
were thinking, Okay, it's going to be Tennessee, and it's
going to be Yukon, or it's going to be Noted.
And I think now you think about the USCS, the UCLA's,
the Texas teams, the Notre Dames, the South Carolina's. I mean,
I think so many people in South Carolina, I'm sure
the past maybe month and a half of the season,

(13:17):
I guess outside of their conference tournament may not have
gone necessarily the way that they wanted to, But South
Carolina is a front runner. Like I was looking the
other day and I was like, Yukon has the best
odds to win the national championship, which is a shock
to me and I cover the team. So I think
the coolest thing is that the field is so wide open,
and it's gonna make the game so much more exciting

(13:38):
to watch because they're going to be so much more competitive.

Speaker 3 (13:43):
So that's what I'm excited to watch.

Speaker 1 (13:45):
Okay, Chelsea, I know it's early, but your prediction for
who will be hoisting up the trophy in April.

Speaker 2 (13:52):
Oh man, that's hard. I'm obviously very scared of South Carolina.
I'm very scared of you see, And I think the
biggest integrants to like USC pretty much has UCLA's number
this season, even though they lost to them in their
conference championship. But I think for me, what it might
come down to is just the inside game. Like Okay, USC, Yes,

(14:16):
they have Kiki Aryfan who's been playing great, and I
think the two man game between her and Juju is amazing.

Speaker 3 (14:22):
But I just I don't know.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
I think like UCLA had a great year South Carolina,
I mean, winners win like it's it's they have a winning.

Speaker 3 (14:30):
Culture over there. It's very hard.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
As shocked as I am that Yukon has the best
odds to win the National Championship, would I also be
shocked or not as shocked if they did. Absolutely, Like
Paige Becker's is on a mission right now, and based
on what I've seen from her over the past couple
of weeks, she has turned a corner where she's being

(14:52):
much more aggressive. She's she calls it hunting. She's been
hunting her shots more offensively. And when Yukon's defense is
what they are like, they're flying around like they are
just when it's fluid, it is so on and it
can be detrimental to opponents. So I guess to answer
your question, that's it's a really hard one. It's really

(15:15):
really hard.

Speaker 3 (15:16):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (15:16):
Would I be surprised if Yukon held up the National
Championship trophy?

Speaker 3 (15:20):
Yes and no.

Speaker 2 (15:21):
Would I be surprised if South Carolina did?

Speaker 3 (15:23):
Yes and no. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (15:25):
I mean, earlier in the season, I thought it was
gonna be Notre Dame, you know what I mean. So,
like I have no idea.

Speaker 1 (15:30):
I think I totally agree with you, Like the field
is so open that it could be anyone's game. And
I do think that team's like South Carolina, like the
UCLA is, like the Yukon's experience is going to play
a major factor in how all of this is going
to play out. And so I think that when it
comes to those teams, continuity, right, having that chemistry of
being in those big moments. I think that when it

(15:53):
comes to tournament time, you know, stars are made in March,
and so I'm excited to see some of the emerging
stars come out. Who is gonna step up in the
biggest lights, in the biggest moments. I think that that's
what makes March so exciting. So I have no idea
who's going to win. I'm right along there with you.
Some days I'm like South Carolina is definitely gonna, you know,

(16:15):
go back to back, And then I'm like, but u
c LA's just.

Speaker 2 (16:18):
Been you don't know, Like you just don't know, and
it can be you know how they say in like
the NFL, like any given Sunday, it's like on any night,
someone will step up. And that's what March madis is about, right,
It's about these underdogs, so to speak, like going on
a run. Who's gonna be the Cinderella of the tournament?
And I'm excited to.

Speaker 1 (16:37):
See that absolutely well. Looking ahead also to the w
NBA Drapp we talked a little bit about page Backers
being a projected number one pick. Obviously not amongst the media,
but fans on social media have been speculating whether she
wants to, you know, possibly go to Dallas. Will she
you know, fourgo I mean, obviously she's already stated the

(16:59):
multiple time she's going to the draft and she doesn't
want to play Ucon anymore, But do you see Dallas
as the right fit for her? And then also going
back to a z buck, will she be back next year?

Speaker 3 (17:10):
Wow? These are two loaded questions.

Speaker 2 (17:12):
Yes, man, Okay, So I don't want to assume or
presume here, but I do think that, you know, a
lot of people going into the lottery, they definitely may
have thought that the Sparks would have gotten the first pick.
I think there were a lot of people who were
kind of surprised when Dallas did even though it's not
up to us like it literally is like as far

(17:34):
as the Wings are concerned, So you know, I was
looking at their roster as it's currently constructed, and so
you know, I could see Page and a Rique like
Page running point Erique, you know, being a two and
kind of coming off the ball, which I think I
would like more so she doesn't necessarily feel like she's
forced to run the offense and things like that. I

(17:57):
could see, you know, Paige and Namissa Smith that kind
of two man game situation going on, which could be
really cool. Lu Lopez Seneschal who played at Yukon. That
could be nice to kind of, you know, reignite them
as teammates again. And Matty segres Is there who played
at Villanova, who's the leading scorer in the Big East

(18:17):
for women's basketball.

Speaker 3 (18:19):
That could be cool.

Speaker 2 (18:20):
I could see some pick and rolls happening with her
and Paige. But I did see that they also picked
up Djn A Carrington, and so the Wings.

Speaker 3 (18:29):
Have a lot of guards.

Speaker 2 (18:30):
Page is obviously an incredible player, I mean, I could
I could see it fitting. Djna is an incredible defender.
She obviously would run should obviously play the same position.
I don't know if Djna plays it too much, but
usually she.

Speaker 1 (18:45):
Plays guards adjustments.

Speaker 2 (18:47):
Yeah, they definitely would have to. I mean what coach
wouldn't want to have Page on their team. Kurt Miller
was up here at the Big East Tournament, Matty Segriss
was here. Obviously Villanova was playing, so they were in
Connecticut the weekend. I definitely could see a fit. I
mean I could see. I think the thing that's most
intriguing is Paige and Arika Gumuale.

Speaker 3 (19:07):
So yeah, I mean I could see it working.

Speaker 2 (19:10):
I think in any situation, Page would go there and
put her best foot forward, So we'll see how that
plays out. I think Marika tweeted right after they got
the number one over all draft pick and she was
like super excited about it. So I'm sure she knows
that like a player like Page could potentially be picked first.
So I think if she's happy about it, everyone else
would be too, because she's a superstar.

Speaker 3 (19:31):
As far as Easy is concerned.

Speaker 2 (19:33):
As if you know Asy Pud, if you've had conversations
with her, and I love talking Easy, She's amazing to
talk to. She always gives me really great, thoughtful answers.
But Asy is really hard to read and so I
don't really know where her head is at as far
as that's concerned.

Speaker 3 (19:49):
I mean, if you were to ask her.

Speaker 2 (19:50):
Today, she would tell you that she kind of just
wants to get through the rest of the season and
then make that decision. I'm in the space where I'm like,
what else do you need to accomplish at UCO? Given
her injury history, I would say, go to the league.
I think she's prepared for She's ready for. U COME
prepares its players to play professionally in a way that

(20:11):
not a lot of other teams do. Asy right now
is averaging her best three point percentage in her career.
And granted she hasn't played, you know, a ton of
games relatively in college, but I think that she could
play on a WNBA roster.

Speaker 3 (20:25):
She could come off the bench for a team. She's
a sharpshooter.

Speaker 2 (20:29):
So I think for her it's like, while you're healthy,
when you're playing at this level, you kind of prove
to everyone that you can come back and be at
the level that you were before. Why not go to
the league? What else do you need to prove staying
in college? I know we could talk a lot about
nil and you know all the money that they're making,
and I know that nil translates to the PROG because

(20:49):
you can keep those partnerships and sponsorships. But that is
also an argument as well. You know, does she want
to stay in college and just kind of coast for
a year, make a lot of money, and then go
to the w You So there's a lot up in
the air for Azy. I personally think that she should
make the transition and enter the draft. For sure, she
can be like a top fifteen pick.

Speaker 1 (21:08):
Yeah, I agree, Why wouldn't you want to maximize the opportunity,
especially with expansion coming and the new CBA in twenty
twenty six. There are a lot of WNBA teams right
now who need sharpshooters and coaches who are now coming
in with that three point mindset. I think about the
LA Sparks hiring their new coach and how Lynn is

(21:29):
like hell bant on threes players who can shoot threes.
I think about the Atlanta coach and Carl spasco who
who also is like listen, I want sharp shooters on
my team. So yeah, a lot of teams that can
use players like.

Speaker 3 (21:41):
Azy for sure.

Speaker 2 (21:42):
And I think this is also just like showing us
the evolution of the game and how the game is changing.
And I think we're also kind of seeing that with
a new wave of coaches as well. Players are different,
the game is different. Players are way more athletic than
they used to be, They're way more skilled than they
used to be. And so, yeah, I think that this
is the perfect time for a player like Asy to

(22:05):
get into the w So we'll see what she decides.

Speaker 1 (22:09):
We'll see we'll definitely keep our eyes on what she
will decide to do. Before you get out of here,
let's talk about Yukon great Diana Tarazzi, who has announced
her retirement after twenty years playing with the Phoenix Mercury.
How would you describe DT's impact overall on women's basketball.

Speaker 2 (22:30):
I don't even know how to put that into words, honestly.
I mean, Diana Trazzi is my favorite player growing up.
I think that DT, well, she's obviously one of the
greatest players that we've ever seen play basketball.

Speaker 3 (22:43):
Kerrie and I think that, yeah.

Speaker 2 (22:45):
But I think that one of the coolest things about
Diana Tarazi and that era of players is that she
became a household name, known around the country, known around
the world before social media was what it is today,
and I think that that says a lot about how
amazing she is. The platform that she had and the

(23:07):
reach that she had while.

Speaker 3 (23:09):
She was playing.

Speaker 2 (23:09):
I mean, we can go down the list of accomplishments
that she has, but I think that at the end
of the day, we talk about Mount Rushmore's and things
like that.

Speaker 3 (23:20):
For me, she's on my Mount Rushmore. I think that
she brought.

Speaker 2 (23:24):
A grit to the game that was necessary, and I
think that she was able to do that because one
of the players that she was surrounded by, because obviously
her and Sue and a.

Speaker 3 (23:36):
Bunch of other players on Yukon that we can.

Speaker 2 (23:38):
Name are very close, but they have different personalities so
to speak. But I think that Diana Tarazzi's personality was necessary.
I think was necessary to show that you can be
this type of player who when you're out on the court,
like I'm seeing red, so to speak, but also just
be a player of quality and class and have these
conversations and be warm and welcoming, willing to talk to

(24:00):
fans and younger players and things like that. So, I mean,
Dana Tarazzi is just a legendary figure in women's sports.
As a whole, but in women's basketball, the fact that
she's had the longevity that she's had and the fact
that she's been able to win on the level she's
been able to win at just speaks volumes, I think
to any basketball.

Speaker 1 (24:21):
Fan, absolutely, And you know what's so crazy. I had
the opportunity not too long ago to talk to DT
about how she viewed her legacy. So I want you
guys to take a listen to what she had to
say about how she viewed her legacy.

Speaker 4 (24:38):
You know the beauty about legacies, You don't get to
write it. I mean, I have no say and how
other people perceive my legacy. All I can do is
put together this little body of work and then here
you guys do what you want with it.

Speaker 5 (24:58):
I really don't get to say I never short changed it.
I've evolved as the game has evolved. I've always try
to make sure that I was always present for every
team I've been on, you know, and I think.

Speaker 3 (25:14):
That's what sets people apart.

Speaker 5 (25:15):
Yeah, you're on the court, being off the court and
being in luck and being at great teammate, that's just
as important to make sure you have success in your
team does too, I.

Speaker 4 (25:25):
Know the work, the time, the effort, the things that
I've had a sacrifice to keep playing basketball. And you know,
I look back on those times. Penny and I talk
about it all the time. Would you trade this for that?
And I wouldn't trade anything in the world for what
I've gotten to experience playing basketball. So that would be

(25:48):
my My legacy is if you're willing to give up
your life, you have a chance.

Speaker 1 (25:56):
So one of the things I love about DT is
that she did it her way her entire career. She's
literally one of one, and that's why she is literally
the WNBA logo. She comes from a different class of
athletes who has that mama mentality. They call her the
white Mama, have that mama mentality of as she said,
you give it your all, and she was willing to

(26:19):
do that her entire career but also give back to
the next generation. And so that's what I appreciate about GT.
And when she talked about other people writing her legacy
and leaving it up to those who watch her play,
I think that's great, where she's just like, I gave
the game all that I had. Now it's up to
you guys to write the rest of the story. I

(26:41):
can respect that.

Speaker 2 (26:43):
No, absolutely, And I think also what I took away
from that was like, you can only show up as yourself,
and it's up to other people to receive that, and
they're going to receive it the way that they want to.
But I think if you show up authentically doing something
that you're passionate about and that you love, and you
put your best foot forward and on top of that,
you have.

Speaker 3 (27:02):
An immense amount of success.

Speaker 2 (27:04):
I think that that's all that you can ask for,
and I think that that could be part of her legacy.
I agree with her that it is up to everyone
else to determine what that legacy looks like, what that
means to them. But I think something that's always said is,
you know, one of the greatest things that you can
do is inspire, and I think that Diana Tarazzi has
inspired multiple generations of basketball players, not just women or girls,

(27:31):
but men as well, just because of the way that
she showed up as her true self. Kobe Bryant is
like everything to me, and she always reminded me of him,
and I try not to, you know, compare women and
men's basketball players, but she reminded me of him because
of her mindset and because of the way that she
showed up and like you mentioned, that was the older

(27:53):
generation of players where there's a certain hunger that I
approached the game with, and I think that that was
its necessary to show that I, Dana Trazzi as a
woman playing in this league, a league that is growing
at a very fast pace, I'm able to do that,
and I'm able to do it well enough to be
able to inspire other people to be able to do

(28:16):
that as well. So, I mean, she's incredible. I haven't
had the chance to really sit down with her and
talk to her, but I am incredibly inspired by her.
She's got a swag about her, which I think is
so cool. But I'm just really happy for her in retirement.
She gave the game everything that she could, and you've
got to be content and fulfilled when you're able to

(28:38):
walk away healthy and kind of open up that next
chapter of your life.

Speaker 1 (28:42):
So absolutely, I'm looking forward to seeing what she does
in her next chapter. DT. If you're listening, thank you
for everything that you've contributed to the game. And I
certainly remember sitting down with you for my very first
episode of In Case you missed It last summer at
All Star. You were the very first person to walk
through that door and sit down with me for this

(29:04):
very show. So I appreciate you so so, so, so
so much. I think that's kind of legendary, like being
able to say I had DT on my first episode
of this show. The show has already reached goat satus,
but I think that the show was I just remember
the interview being so funny, and she's like, this is
really nice, and she just spoke life into the show

(29:27):
and she was like, I had so much fun doing
that interview. And I kind of heard when the door
closed her talking to her PR team. It was like,
this was really fun. I really enjoyed it. So it
wasn't just like I'm here to do this interview, but
she really enjoyed like being on the show. So DT,
we can't wait to have you back. But happy retirement,
enjoy all the things, celebrate take a shot for us.

(29:51):
We appreciate everything that you've done for the game of
women's basketball and beyond, and Chelsea, thank you for being
on the show this this week to break down Yukon
and to preview March Madness. We are going to look
forward to everything that's happening in the tournament. Looking forward
to selection Sunday as well. Thank you so much, Chelsea.

Speaker 2 (30:13):
Yes, thank you so much for having me. You know,
I love doing this with you. I'm always down to
beyond and yeah, looking forward to a really great tournament.
So we're going to have to circle back on our
predictions and things happens.

Speaker 1 (30:26):
Thank you absolutely well. I don't I'm not sure if
we made one hundred percent sure predictions, but as we said,
anybody can win on any given day. All right, y'all,
we're going to take a quick little break and when
we get back, we're going to be joined by Oregon
women's basketball's Dasha Kelly, so stay with us. As you

(30:57):
all know, Selections Sunday is slowly approaching, and it's about
to be that time, March Madness, the time that we
look forward to all year long and women's college hoops.
Joining me this week on the show to break it
all down and to talk about her prestigious collegiate career
is Oregon Ducks point guard Daja Kelly. Deja. Welcome to

(31:21):
the show.

Speaker 3 (31:22):
Hi, thank you for having me, Thanks.

Speaker 1 (31:24):
For being here. So I want to start off by
asking a question that I tend to ask all of
the guests that come through to the show, when did
you first fall in love with basketball?

Speaker 6 (31:35):
Man, I have been playing basketball since I was like
three years old. I want to say when I first
started to kind of develop a passion was around like
third grade. That's when my mom had first started a
team for me. She already had her own organization and
coached for a while, so I asked her to start
a team for me, and that's kind of when I
was like, Okay, I think this is something that I

(31:56):
want to try to be really good at. I want
to actually put the time in. Ever since then, it
was just that's when I started writing down goals. We
made goals together.

Speaker 3 (32:04):
That's when I.

Speaker 6 (32:04):
Started doing extra workouts, extra practices, just kind of starting
to make those sacrifices if this was something that I
really wanted to pursue in a huge light. So I
want to say I was pretty young when I knew
that this was my passion. And of course both my
parents played basketball, so I kind of grew up around
the game and watching them kind of be around it.

Speaker 3 (32:23):
So at a very early age was when I kind
of fell in love with the game.

Speaker 1 (32:26):
You just mentioned how both your parents were collegiate athletes.
How has that influenced the way that you approach the game?

Speaker 6 (32:35):
It just it gave me a different perspective at such
a young age. I think just being able to talk
with them about their experiences, asking them questions about, you know,
what it would look like for me, just seeing if
this was something that I wanted to do and wanted
to really take on seriously. My dad went to Texas,
so I was kind of always following in his footsteps
at a young age, and that's when I had committed

(32:57):
to Texas at an early age and seventh grade. And
so I think just having that having my mom as
a coach and my trainer, like, I think that instilled
a different type of iq with playing the game. When
you play for your mom or having your mom as
a coach, I think that just gives you a different perspective.
And just overall it's just kind of broadened my experience

(33:18):
with basketball and again just really helping me tap into
my passion with that, and they've guided me so much
along the way. So overall, it's just it's been great
to just have two parents who were both tapped into
the sport.

Speaker 1 (33:31):
You mentioned your Texas roots. And you know, obviously the
w NBA was embedded in Texas before with the San
Antonio Stars now known as the Las Vegas Aces. How
was it just growing up and just being able to see,
you know, women reach the highest level of the sport.

Speaker 6 (33:51):
Oh man, it was amazing. We would go to the
Silver Stars games all the time. I remember being at
act man. Becky Hammond was my favorite player growing up.

Speaker 3 (34:04):
So I watched her a lot.

Speaker 6 (34:05):
I really idolized her and just wanted to play like her.
I remember watching her distinctly Sophia Young like that whole
that whole team was so fun to visualize as a
young girl because I knew that that was I wanted
to be on that floor one day and you know,
be in their shoes, and that was something just being
able to have that experience so young and just being

(34:28):
able to see, Okay, this is what I want to
really pursue. This is I want to be a professional.
I want to be a pro. And just being able
to have like that to look up to and continuously
watch in my city, that was just a great experience
for me and again just gave me a broader perspective
at such a.

Speaker 1 (34:44):
Engaged, and I want to fast forward to now. So
after spending four seasons that you and ce you made
the decision to transfer to Morgan for your final year.
What had what was the driving factor for that decision
coming into your fifth year?

Speaker 3 (35:00):
It was a variety of things.

Speaker 6 (35:02):
There was a list of things that I was kind
of looking at just to get out of my last year.
For me, of course, being able to spend four years
at Carolina, being able to graduate get my degree, that
overall was just a phenomenal time that I had, and
it allowed me to really build my brand and build
my game and just overall just you know, it built
my foundation from a collegiate standpoint. And I think that

(35:24):
for my last year, I was really kind of just
looking for what can just best help me prepare for
the pros And because luckily we were blessed enough to
be granted that fifth year, so I was like, why
not try to take that extra time to get ready
and prepare and be my best? And I think that's
something that I was really looking for. Oregon has a
different system, a different style of play, obviously a completely

(35:47):
different experience, but I think the Oregan's offense is more
pro style and lots of ball screens, being able to
make reads on the fly. It's kind of just more
free flow and I think that's something that will definitely
help translate to the pros. And that's something that I
kind of visualize myself just needing to get better at
and a system that I needed to get better in.

(36:09):
And that was just kind of a big step that
I took in my last year. I didn't know what
to expect, but from a basketball standpoint and like an
analytical standpoint, that's kind of what I was looking for.
And really just getting back to just having fun and
just hooping. I think that was the biggest thing, and
luckily I found that. It's been a great staff, of
a great experience, great team, But overall, I think I've
just seen my growth in a system like Oregon has,

(36:31):
and just overall as a basketball player, the reads that
I'm making that are different. Just being able to be
a leader on the floor and in the true point
guard that's just something that I've been able to grow
at and that's what that's all I could have asked
for in my last year. So it's been such a
fun experience, but not done yet, of course, But that's
really what I was looking for out of my fifth year.

Speaker 1 (36:50):
You talked about wanting to getting back to having fun.
Was there a point in your collegiate career where you
felt like you lost that joy?

Speaker 3 (36:58):
Yes, I think unfortunate.

Speaker 6 (37:00):
There's so much that comes with being a collegiate basketball player,
and then NIL was kind of a big thing, so
you're in this different light, and especially with the route
that college basketball is going on, which is great because
there's so many more eyes, there are bigger audiences, bigger
fan bases, but sometimes it could get to a point
where it's just, you know, it's it's exhausting at times,

(37:21):
and if you don't know how to fully manage it
and fully work through it, you can kind of just
take yourself a hole. And I feel like that's kind
of what I was in, especially last year, to where
it was just, you know, I was just trying to
struggling to just find the joy and playing. And of
course I love the game of basketball. I love I
have a passion for it, but I could just feel

(37:41):
like that wasn't really there at that moment. So that's
kind of what that was one of the biggest things
I was searching for when leaving again, my passion for
the game.

Speaker 3 (37:51):
Never went away. It was just like, how am I
going to find out again?

Speaker 6 (37:53):
And just figuring out how to you know, help myself
and build myself back up to how I know I
can play to who I know Desia is overall as
a player and as a person. So that was just
kind of what I was looking for and wanted to
find again.

Speaker 3 (38:06):
In terms of that.

Speaker 6 (38:07):
But the passion for the game never went away, but
it was just, you know, it was just do I
need a different environment to find that?

Speaker 3 (38:14):
And so far I have?

Speaker 1 (38:15):
Was there any specific thing that happened? And then I
also want to touch on you brought up nil and
I know that when you were a freshman, it kind
of didn't exist, and then that next year there was
a huge jump and obviously you've been able to grow
your brand and a master of social media following and
presence to over a million across all of your social
media accounts. Just talk about how Anil has changed the

(38:39):
game for you, and just going back to that point
of was there anything specific that kind of turned for
you in the last year.

Speaker 6 (38:46):
Yeah, Nio was a huge boost for everyone, but for
me specifically. Yeah, our freshman year of course it was COVID.
We were kind of on still rebuild, and that's what
I knew that I was going into on my freshman year.
I knew when I chose Caroline my goal was just
to help put us back on the national map. And
we've made a huge jump from that freshman year to
sophomore year. And of course with Nil coming into play,

(39:08):
that completely changed the landscape. That completely changed my life
in such a different way because it automatically brings.

Speaker 3 (39:15):
More eyes, It automatically brings more attention just to.

Speaker 6 (39:18):
Not only your game, but you know, the social media aspect,
and I think that was something that I was really
trying to figure out once it first started, because it
all happened so fast, I didn't expect to kind of
do as well as I have since then. And it's
been great, but I think there there are some downsides
to it, and I think for me, it just took
me a little while to try to figure out and

(39:38):
navigate and kind of filter both of those the.

Speaker 3 (39:42):
Negative sides of things.

Speaker 6 (39:43):
And I think that overall that kind of carried over
to not even to the court, I want to say
it was mostly basketball, to where I was just like
not feeling like myself, and I think it was it
was a mix of, you know, just kind of my environment,
the fan base that was it is kind of something
that took a toll on me.

Speaker 3 (40:02):
And overall, I was just like, I think I just
need a fresh start.

Speaker 6 (40:06):
And me, I was really content with I was here
four years again, I'm getting my degree, I'm graduating. So
I gave all I could to this program, and for me,
I felt like I just needed kind of just a
fresh start, a new experience, a new environment, and I
think really it was going to help best prepare me
for the next level for the pros, because you don't

(40:27):
know where you're going to end up, you don't know
what to expect, you don't know who you're going to
play with, but you got to figure it out on
the fly. And I think so that's that's why I'm
super happy that I took that leap of faith to
be able to leave my last year and you know,
just kind of hope and pray that it was going
to be a great experience for me and that I
was going to get better from it. And overall I
have just as a person, but more you know, of
course as a player, because I've just learned so much.

(40:50):
I've grown so much. I've seen the game in a
different perspective, and overall, I'm just happy with my decision.

Speaker 1 (40:55):
And yeah, keeping the main thing the main thing and
getting that fresh start, changing your perspective on basketball. I
think that the Big Ten has taken, you know, the
women's college basketball scene by storm. What has it been
like being able to compete in the Big Ten and
how's that shaped your game this season?

Speaker 6 (41:14):
Yeah, the Big Ten is a phenomenal conference. And from
the other side, when I was at the ACC, I
was like, oh, this is the best conference, like we are.

Speaker 3 (41:23):
Yeah, and the Big Ten is different.

Speaker 6 (41:27):
I mean the media coverage of course, like you just
have way more eyes on you, which is great, but overall,
just the consistent gauntlet that you're playing in. I mean
we have I think it says as of now thirteen
teams that are probably making the tournament. We have eighteen
in the conference. So like every night you were playing
against some other pros, future pros, you were playing against

(41:49):
some really good team to have played together.

Speaker 3 (41:51):
For a while.

Speaker 6 (41:52):
So it was just it's been a great transition for me,
and it took me a little bit to kind of
get used to and just kind of figure out, you know,
what I'm playing with and how to just play through
a different system. But once I got you know, back
to myself and you know, just getting my groove, I
was like, this is but just overall seeing the experience
and the conference, it was just like, this is something

(42:13):
that you know, a lot of people should look at overall,
the if you want to be battle tested every single night.

Speaker 3 (42:20):
If you want to really grow your game. It's a
different style.

Speaker 1 (42:23):
You know.

Speaker 6 (42:23):
Sometimes it's a little bit slower, it's kind of more
big dominant some teams, and then you have some teams
that are you know, faster paced, a little more guards.
So I think you get it's really versatile too. You
get an experience of it all. But it has been
so much fun playing in the Big Ten and again
I think it truly is probably one of the best

(42:44):
or is the best conference in the country for sure.

Speaker 1 (42:48):
Obviously, Selection Sunday is coming up, and after Oregon's tough
loss to Indiana and the Big Ten Tournament, you know,
you guys are probably still processing that result. But how
do you stay motivated as you kind of await that
uncertainty heading into the selection Sunday?

Speaker 6 (43:05):
We've known that we were going to make the tournament.
I know that we have. You know, we have the
resume to prove it. We have the wins prove it.
None of our losses were bad, so I think and
just overall, just us being able to completely flip this
program around from where it was last year with nine
new faces, I think that's something that can't go unnoticed.

(43:25):
So for us, you know, I think we're going into
March Madness really confident and just excited.

Speaker 3 (43:31):
You know, we have a lot again, we have a
lot of new.

Speaker 6 (43:33):
People who have never played in a postseason ever, and
so I think that's just a fun experience. You get
a different type of energy from the team and a
different type of confidence. And just as a leader who
has been there before too, I'm just trying to instill
that in my teammates as well and just make sure
everyone knows that we belong because we do. There was
never any doubt that, you know, we might not make

(43:54):
the tournament. We don't know, and of course you know,
we'll see Sunday, but you know, there's there's no doubt.
And I think for us, this is the best time
of the year, and this is one of the best
experiences that you'll ever have. So I think for our team,
I think everyone's really understanding that. And you know, we
got the Big Ten tournament kind of out of the way,
like obviously that didn't go how we wanted. But I

(44:14):
think we're going into March Madness and Selection Sunday just
really excited for what's to come, really excited for the challenge,
and we'll take.

Speaker 3 (44:23):
It a head on.

Speaker 1 (44:24):
You brought up how you've been able to lead the
team in terms of having a new environment, a new roster,
nine new players on your team. How would making the
tournament feel in terms of like your personal journey just
knowing all the things that you've been through in your
collegiate career and the growth that you've experienced as a
player and as a leader, as an athlete and as

(44:44):
a leader.

Speaker 6 (44:44):
Yeah, from a personal standpoint, I think for me, it'll
to be able to lead a team, my team to
a tournament for five years. I think that's something that
you know can't go overlooked, but it's just it's something
that shows that how I can contribute to winning, my
value to winning, my impact, and you know, obviously for

(45:06):
the next level that just you know, that just gives
a different light. But for us to have nine new
players and be able to put that together really quick
than a matter of a couple of months, and I
think that was really impressive and something that honestly, I
did not expect for us from the jump.

Speaker 3 (45:21):
It was just I knew that there was gonna be
some growing pains.

Speaker 6 (45:23):
I knew that there was gonna it was gonna take
time for us to do and sometimes I got lost
and I forgot that kind of throughout the season. Like
I mean, I you know, playing that well off each other,
Like there are games and I'm like, we are new,
so let me let me slow down, let me get
this grace. But like, just for us to be able
to figure that out, and again for me, it was
it took me taking on an even bigger leadership role

(45:44):
than I have had for four years to be able
to help guide my team and kind of help us
navigate through, you know, the challenges up and downs. But
it's it's overall for us to be able to play
how we played and have a winning season and finish
eighth in the Big Ten. I think they had us
finishing between like thirteen and fifteen, So you know, for
us to be able to do that, I'm like dearrid,

(46:04):
but yeah, like just for us to be able to
do what we've done, and from a personal standpoint, for
me to continue to keep the team that I'm playing
on at a top level and playing at a high level,
I think that just speaks volumes and it's something that
I really take parte in.

Speaker 3 (46:20):
I really take pride.

Speaker 6 (46:21):
And being a leader and trying to be my best
at that and doing whatever is needed for us to win,
and doing whatever is needed for my team.

Speaker 3 (46:27):
So if that's really.

Speaker 6 (46:28):
Facilitating playmaking, great, If that's scoring when I need to,
which is what I've kind of been having to do
towards the end, great, And I think that, you know,
for our team, that's something that we're super unselfish, and
we have so many pieces and so many different things
that people bring and everyone knows that and respects that.
And for me, this is a team that I've been
on that probably respects each other the most and expect

(46:51):
respects each other's game and each other's value and really
appreciates that. So it's definitely been a lot of fun
overall just to be a.

Speaker 1 (46:58):
Part of Okay, y'all, it's time to pay some bills.
But when we get back more from this conversation with
Dasha Kelly, stay with us. When I think about the
growth of the women's game, especially in the last several years,

(47:21):
I feel like you've been in a thick of it
in terms of having that COVID year, basing adversity, the
March mad is Brandon being able to be being used
now in twenty twenty two and beyond, and just the
increase in visibility and the growth of the game. Personally,
how has that shift in you know, the growth of
the game been for you and where do you think

(47:43):
it's headed for the future.

Speaker 6 (47:45):
It has shifted college sports, women's college basketball, and a
magnitude of ways overall that we've seen. You know, you've
seen the viewership, You've seen the fan bases grow, You've
seen the tenants grow. I think for me personally, yeah,
being in the thick of it seeing how it was
from COVID to now is insane. How the jump has

(48:06):
been made. But it took a lot of work. You know,
it took a lot of players like me. You've seen
so many big name players you know, speak up on
and trying to help the matter and just really emphasize
how important women's college basketball is, women's sports are in general,
but just being able to really experience that and kind
of shift that and be in the midst of it

(48:28):
while it's shifting and changing. Being able to experience that
growth as we've gone and as I've gotten to this
point has been a lot of fun. It's just really
cool to see how.

Speaker 3 (48:40):
So many people can who were so unaware, and.

Speaker 6 (48:43):
I think you would be, like, you know this, college
basketball has been so much fun and March madness for
a long time, but now that we have more eyes,
it's just it takes to a whole another level.

Speaker 3 (48:53):
And you're you're talking about players you.

Speaker 6 (48:55):
Know in the same sentences as NBA players, as WNBA players.

Speaker 3 (49:00):
It's just it's just a hot topic of discussion.

Speaker 6 (49:02):
And for us to be able to have that to
carry on once we leave college, once we enter the
pros and so forth, I think that's something that has
definitely been a great platform for us overall.

Speaker 3 (49:11):
On a good foundation.

Speaker 1 (49:12):
I think one of the things that is kind of
crazy to me still is the time between when the
tournament finish finishes in the WNBA Draft. Obviously, you continuously
talked about wanting to be a pro. Will you declare
for the twenty twenty five WNBA Draft?

Speaker 3 (49:29):
Yes? I will.

Speaker 6 (49:31):
Yes, I am super excited again. Just being able to
have the fifth year to be able to continue to
grow my game was great. But yes, I am finally
excited to.

Speaker 3 (49:40):
Declare the job.

Speaker 6 (49:41):
I don't have no more years of eligibility, so no
one asked me, so yes, I am declaring for the
twenty twenty five draft.

Speaker 1 (49:48):
What do you hope w NBA gms and scouts know
about you? About your game? What do you want them
to know?

Speaker 6 (49:57):
I feel like there's so much, but no, I think
for me overall, you know, in the four years that
I was at Carolina, I think everyone GM's coaches have
been able to see what I can do in terms
of just my scoring ability, my playmaking ability, as well
as just my competitiveness. I think that's something you can't teach,
just having that killer mentality consistently and be able to

(50:18):
try it and so that in my teammates as well.
That's something that I consistently did at North Carolina. Now
with a shift to Oregon, I think that something that
I would want or would help gms and coaches see
is one the ability to challenge myself. I mean that
was a huge challenge to be able to take on
and wanting to get better. I think that was something
because going to Oregon, I knew that it was going

(50:40):
to be again a different system and they see the
type of style, the style of play that Oregon plays
with and has played with for years with you know,
Sabrina and Satoo. But yeah, just me being able to
take that on, it shows that I wanted to grow
my game just from mostly a playmaking standpoint.

Speaker 3 (50:57):
Everyone knows I can put the ball in the basket.

Speaker 6 (50:59):
That's what I've done my whole career, but just my
playmaking ability and my leadership, you know, just really being
taking control of a team and leading a team and
running a team. I think that's something that has been
a huge part of my growth and something that I
would have to do at the next level. I think
I'm probably a little too little to play, you know,
off the ball, and you know we'll see.

Speaker 1 (51:18):
Business small guards get love to the w right exactly.

Speaker 6 (51:22):
But you know, I've always been a little bit of
a combo guard, so just being versatile in that way,
but also really just showing that I can again, like
I said, runner team have the ball in my hands,
be a point guard in that sense, a scoring, playmaking
point guard, you know, just for them to see that
and something that I've grown in in this past year again,
and I think that's super important. And again just my

(51:44):
impact to winning and how I contribute to winning in
all different ways defensively, offensively, Like that's something that you know,
just sacrificing for the team, and I think that's something
that I hope they see and that I'm excited to
continue to show in March Madness. But yeah, something that
I've shown all year, so I'm really feeling good about it.
I was really excited with my play and again my

(52:06):
growth this season, so I know it'll.

Speaker 1 (52:09):
Pay off and I know it will as well. I
know you mentioned that Becky Hammond was someone you watched
growing up, But there is there any other w NBA
player now, past or president that you sort of feel
like inspired you or that you model your game after.

Speaker 6 (52:23):
Yeah, I mean there's been a number that have inspired me.
I grew up watching basketball since I started playing, just
with my mom being a coach, she always had it
on the TV. So I'm sitting there with her watching
and I'm like who's that okay cool noted like, and
then I just grew up watching them. But yes, Becky
Hammond was definitely one of the first that I grew up.
I probably I probably have so many pictures of me
at games with her, But once I really started watching

(52:46):
like college basketball, Skyler Diggens of course, was like the
blueprint for me. Just watching her, you know, competitiveness at
Notre Dame and her fierceness and then her ability to
be you know, the business woman that she is off
the court. That was truly admirable. But you know, I

(53:07):
grew up watching my More and Diana Tarrossi and Chelsea Gray.

Speaker 3 (53:11):
So as of late, I think for me, just.

Speaker 6 (53:14):
Chelsea Gray is a big one, especially in the mid range,
but just as a point guard, just me really watching
and trying to, you know, see her playmaking and see
how she creates feathers as well as creates for herself.
And someone else that I watched really closely this past
year was Courtney Williams.

Speaker 1 (53:31):
I think her, Yeah, Vidy is crazy is and for me,
you know, that is my bread and butter.

Speaker 6 (53:39):
So just watching how she gets to her spots as
well as watching how she helped run her team, So
I think it's just a good mix.

Speaker 3 (53:45):
Those are kind of people that I've watched. I watched
Kelsey plom you know.

Speaker 6 (53:48):
Her scoring ability, how she can get downhill and create
her own shot. So I think, uh, you know, I
don't really try to model my game after anybody necessarily,
but I definitely do try to take business pieces and
you know, try to make it to you just added
to my game. And there's so many good players in
the league. There's so many good players out of the
league as well, but so much to learn from, so
many people to learn from. And again, just having that

(54:10):
growing up and just continue to watch and watch these
players grow as well into what they are now has
been such a blessing. And I'm just they're they're great
for our game. It's great to have them to kind
of look up to.

Speaker 3 (54:23):
For sure.

Speaker 1 (54:23):
I think that speaks to the testament of the growth
of this sport, because I remember a time where people
did not even know or could not name a women's
basketball player, or even years ago where collegiate players like
I don't watch the w and it's like, how do
you want to be a pro? You don't right watch it?
So I think that is great that there's like a
new generation of college players who you know are watching
or who are growing up with the game. You mentioned

(54:46):
how Skyler digg and Smith, how her being a businesswoman
inspired you to, you know, handle your business off the court.
Talk about some of your off the court initiatives and
your aspirations of wanting to be in broadcasting one day.

Speaker 6 (55:00):
Yes, that is something that I have kind of grown
a passion for leading up to college, and then of
course once I got into school, that was my major.
That's what I was really studying and just really wanted
to tap into. Of course, I think growing up watching
so much basketball, I saw all the pregame interviews, I
saw all the postgame interviews, like I would stay to

(55:21):
watch all of those, and that became something I was like, Oh,
this is something that I can do and I want
to do.

Speaker 3 (55:27):
And when I was younger, my mom always had me.

Speaker 6 (55:29):
In front of the camera, so I was like I
could be in front of the camera. But then just
being able to talk the game. I know, I have
a high IQ. And then as I got older and
really started studying it and getting hands on practice and
being able to shadow. I was shadowing Andrea Carter I've
had conversations with Taylor Rooks, Malika Andrews, just being able

(55:49):
to get some knowledge from them and really make sure
that this was the route that I wanted to take
in one is and again once I got to Oregon,
the Big ten Network being as big as it is,
being able to get some hands on practice with them
as sideline with Color has been such a fun experience,
and that's definitely something I want to pursue. That's more
so for like longevity, but of course if the opportunity

(56:12):
is there while I'm still playing or in the off
season whatever that looks like, I would definitely love to
pursue that career as well, you know, like Leah Boston's doing,
like Candice did, Chelsea Gray did it for the ACC
Network with us. So just being able to see that,
I know that that's something I can also pursue as well,
and that's a great career. I mean for me, I'm
just really excited to tap into it, and I'm really

(56:32):
blessed to have already had some practice and experience before
I even leave school.

Speaker 1 (56:38):
All Right, so before you get out of here, I'm
going to ask you to put on your analyst hat
and take away the fact that you know you're currently
playing in college basketball. So as March approaches, well we're
already in March, but like March Madness, as it approaches,
what excites you about the tournament? And who do you
have as a sleeper team analysts?

Speaker 6 (57:01):
Okay, okay, the player because I don't be biased, I
think for March Madness, I think the most exciting thing
is we've seen such a the top teams fluctuates, and
you've seen so many different teams one, see two, see all,
I think, and you've seen so many upsets already throughout

(57:24):
the whole season. So I think for March Madness, you
can expect it to be just exciting as it always
has been.

Speaker 3 (57:29):
But I think.

Speaker 6 (57:29):
We'll probably see a little bit of some upsets, We'll
probably see some surprises. But I think you know this,
this is when everyone shines, and we're the big names,
big players shine.

Speaker 3 (57:39):
So I'm really excited to see that.

Speaker 6 (57:41):
Of course, and I think a big sleeper team from
an analyst standpoint, I think it would have to be
Oregon women's basketball.

Speaker 3 (57:51):
Of course, that's my choice.

Speaker 6 (57:52):
But they have a great squad, we have a great
some great players, just a great system. Overall and they
can defend their bets off. So Oregon is my choice
for the sleeper team.

Speaker 1 (58:08):
Keeping that analysts is on Styeah, keeping it on, keeping
it on. Page Becker's is projected to be the number
one overall pick in the twenty twenty five draft. What
do you see about her game that stands out to you?
And as a competitor, As a competitor and as an analyst.

Speaker 6 (58:23):
She's just so she's so efficient in her movements. You know,
when I've seen her and played against her as well,
you know she was hard to guard because it was
she's constantly moving. She's constantly setting experience for others, which
gets her more open.

Speaker 3 (58:37):
And I think she does.

Speaker 6 (58:39):
A lot of her scoring and just movements and very
few dribbles, which I think is impressive. And again just
her playmaking ability at her size as well, that's that's
really impressive. Page is a great player, she always has been,
and I think she's so humble about it too. I
think that's something that you know, as a as a competitor,
you like to see they right now they have us

(58:59):
in their in their region, so I'm like, hopefully we'll
play them again, which I would be really excited about
being Paige or friends easy all them, so we kind
of grew up friends, so I would be excited to,
you know, play against them. And but yeah, I mean,
Paige is definitely a great player. Everyone knows that she
is exactly who people think she is and exactly the

(59:22):
player that people think she is. So yeah, I'm excited
to see, you know, what she does in the future
as well, and obviously wish the best to her.

Speaker 1 (59:29):
Absolutely, Weldasia, It's been a pleasure having you on the
show this week. Wishing you all the best for selection
Sunday and beyond, and I'm really looking forward to seeing
you in the w n B A one day. Thank
you so much for joining us this week.

Speaker 3 (59:44):
Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 1 (59:46):
All Right, chall we're gonna take another quick break and
when we get back, it's the Things that I Love
this week. Welcome back to in case you missed it
with Christina Williams, and I just want to thank both
Chelsea Charad and Dasha Kelly once again for dropping through

(01:00:08):
to the show this week as we get into March madness.
But for now, it's time for my favorite part of
the show. Here's the Things that I Love this week. Okay.
Also at the top of the show, I talked about
how it's been a little bit of a hiatus for
the show. The girl has been traveling, celebrating my birthday,
moving a lot of different things. Okay, So one of

(01:00:31):
the things that I love this week was being able
to travel. I guess I've been all over the place.
I went to Nashville to for AU Athlete to Limited
Basketball for their championship weekend and Matti Segris was named
the twenty twenty five AU champion. But what I loved

(01:00:51):
about being in Nashville was being able to just take
a step back and hang out with my friends. Shout
out to the brunch crew was with Tarika Fostin Rasbee
front to the show and Katot You guys may remember
him from the top New York Countdowns show. Yeah, we
had a time in Nashville. Shout out to Izzy Harrison though,
because we went out to watch a Dironte Davis fight

(01:01:14):
in Nashville and we went to this restaurant where they
told us it would be a thirty five minute wait
for a table, and so we waited past thirty five
minutes and then at the like the forty minute Mark
is He Harrison, who is the newest member of the
New York Liberty. She walked into the bar and she
says to the host I know you guys all have
my friends sitting down waiting for a table, and I

(01:01:34):
kids you not, I kid you not. The hostess didn't
even look to see through there was a table free. Automatically,
there was a table free for us, and we didn't
have to wait in the lobby of the restaurant. And
not only did they give us a table, they gave
us a VIP booth and gave us extra food. So
after that weekend, I nicknamed Izzy Harrison the Mayor of Nashville,

(01:01:57):
because obviously she's from Nashville, played for Tennessee. He was
there for AU But literally she said, I know you
guys all have my friends waiting, And it was a
joking matter, not like a stuck up snobby. It was
like a really playful matter, and they gave us the
table right away. So shout out to Izzy Harrison, the
Mayor of Nashville, and I'm looking forward to seeing you
in the New York Liberty colors in the WNBA season.

(01:02:20):
I also enjoyed going to Puerto Rico y'all. I spent
a lot of time in pr for my birthday and
just to take a quick reset. As a pisc's girly,
I appreciate the water, so I loved being at the beach,
being able to take in all the sun before it
came back to New York City for the cold weather.
But I guess it kind of warmed up this week.

(01:02:40):
But yeah, that's the thing that I love she just
spending time with my friends, being able to have a
quick reset for the craziness of the tournament starts and
also the w NBA season. Sometimes it's just okay to
not feel guilty about having a little reset. But I'm
so excited to be back here with you guys after
our little NBA All Star hiatus. I hope you enjoyed

(01:03:01):
the last few episodes of the show. I certainly had
a great time in San Francisco filming with Cheryl Swoops
and Turka Fossil Brasby at Club thirty. Shout out to
Steph Curry as well, and also breaking news, Steph Curry
was named an investor for Unrival Basketball. So love that
he is taking the initiative to continue to use his

(01:03:24):
platform to invest in the next generation of athletes, especially
women athletes. So shout out to Steph Curry, thank you
again for you and your team hosting us. The NBA
all start at Club thirty for our shows, and that's
gonna do it. For this week's things that I Love,
I guess it was a lot of things that I
love because it's been about three weeks, y'all, So don't
forget to rate, review and subscribe to the podcast, and

(01:03:48):
we'll be back next week with special guests Christina. Anyway,
So see you next week in case you missed it
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 Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts.