August 21, 2025 • 45 mins
On this episode of Levels to This, hosts Sheryl Swoopes and Terrika Foster-Brasby are joined by Clare Hamill, the Interim President of one of the newest WNBA expansion teams, the Portland Fire. Along the way, they discuss Hamill’s 40 years of experience working to elevate women as an executive at Nike, the excitement around the Fire's return to the W, and much more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Levels to This is an iHeart women's sports production in
partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
You can find us on the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hey, everybody, what's going on? It's your girl? Treka Foster
Brasby what it do? Y'all? Is your girls? Cheryls woops.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
We in this thing, We in this thing at this
eight is levels to this. This is the show where
we share all of the levels to the shit that
women go through. And we have such a fun show
lined up today. We have a great guest who's gonna
break down some things for us about some really great
upcoming news and event and things happening in the WNBA
(00:48):
for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
So we're gonna get into that when we get to
the next level.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
But first, I just want to say thank you guys
to everybody who showed me love this week. Your girl
turned forty one on Sunday. I had such a great
time celebrating my birthday. I didn't do anything super spectacular,
at least not to my standards, like I.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Had a part.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Let me let me make sure I clarify that my
standards of spectacular. Maybe a little different because I'm a Leo,
But for the most part, I had a house party
which was great, which was supposed to just be like
fifteen people. He ended up being like fifty. And then
I had and then I went to dinner on Sunday,
which was great. I had this cute little dress on
(01:32):
and sure, let me tell you how excited I was
about my birthday dress because I bought my birthday dress
last year in September because I was going to a
white party and I needed something to wear, and I
bought this dress and I.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Tried to dress on. I went to Ross.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Now, if anybody out there don't know about Ross, Ross
is like the that's the store. It's like you can
get all of the good stuff, like it's the store.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
So I got much to look for it, but you
can do too, you do.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
And so in my in my head, I was like,
I really want this dress, but I don't know if
I could fit this dress. Sure enough, I got home,
put the dress on. Girl, everything was hanging out of
everywhere in this dress. So I ain't never wore this dress.
But because I've been going through the weight loss and
really trying to get my shit together. A couple of
days ago. I was like, dang, when am I gonna
(02:21):
work for my birthday? I tried to dress on and
the dress fit perfectly.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Oh yeah, you was wearing a dress.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
I said.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
You can't tell me shit today, honey, this is this
is I saw your picture.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
But let me also say the.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Shoes that you had on with that dress, yeah, I said,
I since think she grown grown tonight because it's her birthday.
I had to act a fool. I had to active
it's beautiful. Well, thank you, absolutely stunning.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
But I will tell you, though, that them shoes almost
had me out here like half the w NBA with
an injury because your girl, oh your girl, was about
about two steps away from twisting an ankle.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
I say, listen, I didn't see you walking in them.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I just saw your polls and I was like, okay, dress,
come on.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Shoes, Yeah, there's one post. I'm on Green Shot rocking
hills like that. I can't do it anymore.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
And I'm mad at you for talking about almost like
the WNBA with all these injuries.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Because half the league is on.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
The bench at this point, Like my goodness, injuries are ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
I have not seen a season in a very long
time where so many people have either been sidelined because
of an injury or out for the season because of
an injury. And lord knows, the Indiana fever. They can't
take no more, like I can't catch a break.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
They cannot catch a break.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
First it was Caitlin, then now it's Sydney Colson, and
it's Arry McDonald, and now it's it's Sophie Cunnyham. Like
dang h, my goodness, Like who has left on the
team at this point, Like it is so sad to
see from a team that was expected to be such
a top contender and now they're fighting for their life
(04:16):
at the sixth seventh spot because we don't know and
and bless God, bless you Kelsey Mitchell, God bless you.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Oh wait, because I was about to say, yes, all
the injuries to every team in the league, right, but
the fever girl, they have caught a fever mm hmm
or or something.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
But let me just echo what you just said for
those of you who may not know.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Kelsey Mitchell has always all ways been that girl mm hmmm,
m hm, always the other day and here to me,
here's here's what that was so impressive about her last game.
The first half was not a typical Kelsey Mitchell half, right,
(05:09):
but she had zero or two.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Like she has zero points in the first quarter and
two in the second.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, it ended up with who thirty thirty six I
think or thirty eight eight one of those two.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
But the thing about Kelsey Mitchell is she is always
going to play compete.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
It don't matter how many points she has. And I've heard.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
A lot of players in the W right now because
you know, they always do their whole starr bitch cut
type thing. And also who's one of the toughest to
guard And a lot of the guards that I've heard
say Kelsey Mitchell is the toughest guard for them. And
you understand why she's quick. She stops at the drop
of a dime and pull Listen, Kelsey Mitchell, Yeah you
(05:56):
said it, God bless you.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yes, yep, yeh back. That got the beat.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Because she has been carrying this team for I mean
they have even Stephanie White said it. They just played Connecticut.
They were up, Connecticut was up twenty one points. Now,
I ain't even gonna go on how you don't lose
a twenty one point league team, come on, fam but
and at home and at home and at home, and
they're down three guards at this point, Like, yeah, neither
(06:24):
here nor there. Point though, is for Kelsey to put
on that kind of a performance in that moment when
her team needed her most, because for the first half,
it was all Natasha Howard and she couldn't give al
Jash couldn't do it by us. So but Kelsey, girl,
God bless you. You've been balling all year. Every flower
(06:45):
that we have you deserve, Like it's just.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Just that simple, just that simple.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
So but anyway, Yes, it has been a very difficult
season for a lot of teams in the WNBA because
of injuries, and hopefully people are able to get healthy
in the off season and for those who are going
to be able to come back. Were looking at the
FISA Collier who should be able to come back soon,
Brianna Stewart, Hopefully she'll be able to come back soon.
(07:12):
Like it's just it's it's so many angel rees. Hopefully
she'll be.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Able to play, to start playing more.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
It's just there are so many faces that we want
to see before this season is over. So we're wishing
the best for all of them that everybody gets healthy
and that we can start the playoffs, but everybody as
best as they possibly can be. But next season, as
we look ahead to next season, hopefully not only do
(07:40):
we have less injuries, but we are certainly going to
have more spots for people who have to wait for
these hardship contracts and have to wait for these seven
day contracts to wait for folks to give them a spot.
Hopefully next year, with the addition of two new teams,
that means that there are more for some of these
(08:01):
players to actually be able to rise grow. I look
at a team a person like a Veronica Burton, who
for me is leading the conversation and.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Mip M I P yes, ma'am.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Y'all look at a Veronica Burton, and I'm like, she
is telling y'all right now KT before she got hurtings
or ACL.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
They're showing you the blueprint.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Y'all can make a name for yourselves in this league
if you had the chance, and they might get the chance.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Heryl and all of that, assuming there is a next
season with the CBA.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
That's a great point.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
So assuming that we have a next season and assuming
that the WNBA and the players come to an agreement.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Yeah, because I let me get this off my test
real quick so we can move on.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Because you know all the hoopla around the Connecticut Sun
being sold not sold, all the things, and you know
now the w saying we want to buy the team
for two hundred and fifty million. Well, if you got
two hundred and fifty million to buy the Sun, why
don't you have the money to pay the players.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Let's talk about it. Let's talk about it, like, make
that make sense. Where does money come from?
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Where y'are pooling this money from?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Interesting? That's interesting. I just found that very interesting.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Right, we have two hundred and fifty mil to buy
the Sun, but we ain't got we ain't got no
more money to pay the players.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
We ain't got no money to play the players.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
We ain't got no money to actually lock in these
charter flight contracts. We ain't got no money for any
you know what. Let that marinate, do what that do
with that info as you will?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
People do with that info as you will.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Yeah, but we are looking at some teams that already
are existing in terms of expansion. In one of those
is the Portland Fire, and we're very excited to see
the Portland Fire in twenty twenty six, assuming that there
is a twenty twenty six season, and today we have
the pleasure to have a next level conversation with interim
(10:12):
executive President Claire hammil And I know that you and
Claire go back from your days at Nike and her
days at Nike. Look, she I see how I add
on them ways, see she had it on them.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Ways I did add the way.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
You didn't have to add the way. It was just
the way you said. I know you and Claire go back.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
I just threw the way in there for you, says
oh Man.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
But I'm excited to talk to Claire, just you know,
wanting to know more about what the direction is of
this fire team, having a team back in the road
city where so many fans loved the Portland Fire back
when it was in its initial existence. So it's going
to be an exciting conversation and I'm excited to chat
(11:01):
with her. And so with that, let's just go ahead
and take this to the next level. So joining us
today on today's show very excited about I will also,
(11:22):
even before I get off into the introduction, say I'm
a little jealous that our last few guests have been
people who Cheryl kind of knows and has a relationship
with before me so serious.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
It was a little bit like what she gotta know everybody?
You know what I'm saying, like popular, go to the
guests because I love her. I love this guest.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
God, she is so popular, you know everybody. But okay,
like good lord. However, joining us today is a trailblazer
with women's sports.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Forty years at Nike, she certainly.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Helped shape the way the world sees athletes in sports,
and now she's serving as interim president of the Portland Fires.
So we are joined by Claire Hammel.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Hi, Claire tee Hi, thanks for having me. Hey Cheryl,
Hi Claire Ty.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Let me not necessarily rephrase, but let me add something
to that.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Not yet just athletes, but female.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Athletes in particular, making sure that we are seeing, we
are heard, making a space for us and Claire and I.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Go way back.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Did you hear how I said, so excited for this
next chapter for her and Claire, just thank you for
taking the time out of your day to join us
and we're so super excited to have a conversation with
you today.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
Yeah. Thanks, I appreciate it. I'm excited to excited to
do it, always happy to talk about women's sports and
meet new people. So tigue great.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Yeah, I mean we obviously have to talk about the
vision and the future of women's basketball in the Road
city because we were all super excited when the announcement
was made that Portland would be receiving a WNBA team again.
For the new fans out there that don't know this
is Portland isn't new to this. They're true to this, right,
(13:25):
They've been doing this for a while and there's just
always been such a rich culture of sports. Just kind
of want to start off of, you know, asking about
you know, why why Portland? What do you think makes
this city just so uniquely suited for a WNBA franchise?
Speaker 4 (13:46):
Yeah, I think I usually when I talk about Portland
right now and the Fire, I talk about the fans first.
I mean, I think Cheryl can tell you this all
the way back in two thousand and one when the
Fire was playing here before there were eight nine thousand
fans showing up to watch those games and not just
(14:07):
come in with a ticket, I mean coming with their
whole hearts, like like it was personal, like this team
mattered and they they were disappointed when the team went away,
and now fast forward to have this team coming back
to Portland, a city that just loves women's sports. You know,
it's a city with I always say, people that have
(14:30):
sort of fierce individuality, like everybody's got their own way
of showing up, but then they come together and women's
sports is just one of those things that brings folks.
So I think the fans I will start there. I
think even players will tell you who used to come
to Portland that this was not this was an arena
where you came in and it was like people are serious,
(14:51):
like you know, this is our house, like like let's go.
And so everybody's excited. There's so much enthusiasm for the
team here. And then this is also a city where
I think we can do some innovative things that maybe
you can't do everywhere. And I think we've got some
opportunities in Portland, and which is why we have both
a big vision for Portland and a big vision for
(15:13):
the Fire. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
I will absolutely agree with Claire Tea.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
I remember when when the w started and Portland had
a team. First of all, everybody was excited to go
play Portland because we all wanted to go to the
Nike store, right, So it was like.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Yes, we want to.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
So we get to go shopping. But to Clara's point,
like Portland was one of those like the arena, the fans,
it was one of those places where you hate it
to go play, but you loved it right because they
were they were big fans. They just loved great basketball.
But I don't care who you were going into play.
(15:56):
It was their team and they were going to make
sure you knew you were on the road.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Right.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
So I'm I'm super excited that Portland's getting a team back.
But Claire, I want to go before I get into
the fire, I want to talk a little bit about
the WIN program. You had this vision right being at
Nike forever to Yeah, I say clear rand Nike, but.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Being at Nike right, you have this, You had this.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Vision of giving former w NBA players an opportunity to
step into corporate America. Can you talk a little bit
about what that vision was, why you thought it was important,
and you know, just just why you felt like it
was the right move for former w NBA players.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
Yeah, I'd love to talk about WIN. I could talk
probably talk about it all day if you ask me
to Yeah, I think I go all the way back
to the fact that I started playing basketball very very
young age and had the opportunity to literally build my
entire career around women's sports. And you know, yes, it's
not the only thing I worked on at Nike, But
(17:11):
what I learned was that athletes are different that you know,
they bring something to the table. There's a there's a power,
there's a leadership profile, they know how to win, they
are resilient, and so it was almost pretty simple in
some ways, like, wow, you know, we've got a lot
of tables at Nike, a lot of places where the
(17:34):
voice of the athlete and everything there is about being
an athlete could make a difference. There's a WMBA where
we've got players retiring and it's very hard to transition
from being a professional athlete into that next step. I
mean you got to grind at it. I mean I
learned a lot about that talking to players talking and
(17:54):
I'm still I still hear that all the time, and
even though things have changed a little bit, that transition
is a big deal. And so it was a pretty
much a perfect marriage, Like we needed more athletes and
more women leaders at the table, and there are a
lot of athletes that were looking to transition, So I
(18:15):
just knew it was going to work right from the start.
I spent a lot of time around innovation, and sometimes
you're like, I think we're solving a big problem, but
let's try it. In this case, I'm like, we are
solving a big problem, which is how do we get
more women leaders at Nike? How do we help athletes transition?
And it's been amazing the impact that the athletes that
(18:36):
have come to Nike, the WNBA players have had on
Nike's business. Like I use the example of the Asia
Wilson work that just launched this year. I mean, one
of my all time favorite Nike ads, Like that is impressive.
That doesn't happen, That does not happen, That shoot does
not happen, That brand campaign does not happen without the
(18:59):
WIN that worked on that campaign. And WIN stands for
Women in Nike, and there are probably ten or twelve
W players and WIN members who were a part of
helping make Asia's campaign successful and pushing that forward. So
just one example right down to like the kids version
of the Asia issue that one of the WIN members
(19:21):
worked on. That's so good. So the impact has been
great and for me it was my God, it's just
like game changer for me to get to work on that,
to be around all these players. And the only thing
I'd say is one of the things that's been great
about being at Nike for a long time, it has
given me a platform where I can make a difference.
(19:44):
And so if this is one example of being able
to do something and make a difference, then I'm happy
about that.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
I love that, honestly. And can I throw in a suggestion? Please?
Can we get a blue and gold version of the
A ones? Thanks?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Okay, we'll get Yeah. I was like, where's my phone,
where's my phone? Let me just text them, text somebody. Yes,
but how about her birthday colors? How do you like
the birthday cake colors?
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I was like, it looks it seems like Asia has
a different color every game.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
You started the game, Cheryl, So it's just like now
we're now, we're in the big time. It's like, yeah,
she has at least one color every game. I think,
what is it, twenty two or three games at home?
Speaker 2 (20:31):
There we go.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Yeah, well, Cheryl knows, Cheryl. Cheryl had an amazing, amazing
partnership with Nike forever, like we started working back in
nineteen ninety five, like change the game for women's basketball,
changed the game within Nike, and then came to work
at Nike. I mean, it's amazing, Like it's a kind
of full circle thing and it's having and had a
(20:55):
big difference when she came in, And so I think
that's what that program is all about.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
I know that every single win member, we will forever
being debted to you, and we all are so grateful
and thankful that you have that vision and you made
space for all of us.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
So I just want to say thank you.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Yeah, you're welcome.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I literally and genuinely love that because I don't think
that this is something that you know, the men have
to think about when they're done playing, like what is
their next step?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
You know what I mean, And not like that they.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Don't have like vision or drive or goals to do
something outside of basketball. But I think the necessity of
needing to have a life outside of when you retire.
It's just very different for women and women athletes than
it is for men for obvious reasons sometimes. So I
love that there is a space and someone has the
(21:55):
forethought to say, we need to make sure that these
women are taking care of and put in position to
have opportunities to be successful outside of the success they
found on the basketball court.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
And when I think.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Of that and tying that into what's happening at in Portland,
it makes me think about I mean, I think any
W fan who is a true W fan and can
remember Portland, the first name that comes to mind is
Jackie Styles, right number ten, And so I think it's all.
(22:29):
I feel like every franchise that has either been an
expansion franchise or come back have talked about the importance
of how alumni members and past members play a role
in what they're trying to do futuristically. So has there
been a conversation with Jackie or is there any forethought
or vision of bringing back former players to have a
(22:53):
role in some way or encouraging in some way of
what Portland's doing moving forward?
Speaker 4 (22:59):
Absolutely, I think within two weeks of well was it
actually quicker than that? Within the second week of being
on the job, I managed to find her, get her
cell phone number off of one of the players and
called her and and it's almost like we hit her
at exactly the right time. She was like, you know,
I have I have the She's been working hard to
(23:20):
just you know, do do her thing since she retired,
and she had a short, short but amazing career, fan favorite,
Everybody's MVP. And I asked her if she wanted to
be involved, and she said, absolutely, I want to be involved.
So she did a little shout out off of her
phone for our launch. But I think there's a bigger
(23:43):
role that she Uh. I've talked to a couple other
players as well from the Fire. Remember there was also
a team before the Fire called the Power and the
Aby was in the right Yeah, and I've also talked
to i think every former GM president or coach of
those teams as well. So yeah, I think there's a
(24:04):
there's a power to that legacy. And I also I
also think Jackie, this just could be the right time.
She said, it's the right time for me to get
more involved. I'd love to be a part of it.
I think fans are going to love having her about.
So I mean, the easy thing is we bring everybody
back to some games, or we you know, we bring
all the alumni back. A lot of teams do a
(24:25):
great job of that in the w right now. You know,
I was just watching the Liberty had everybody back in town,
you know this week for example, A says everybody does that,
but I think tapping into Jackie and bringing her back.
We definitely intend to do that. Number ten, I know.
(24:45):
And I took my daughter to the games, to the
Fire Games, and so you know, first thing she did
when I got this job, she started to search everywhere
to find a Jackie Styles number ten shirt, which wasn't
that easy to find. And she found one, but it
wasn't the It wasn't easy. So there's definitely there's definitely
a power in that. There's story. There's good stories in that,
(25:06):
you know, I think, but there's you know, there's other
players that we want to tell their stories as well.
But yeah, it's definitely number ten.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Yeah Jackie.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Jackie was that girl that was that rookie of the
year and I remember two thousand and one, and it's
it's just always so interesting to me, like I have
pitched and talked about so often, having some type of
form or platform where we can kind of give flowers
to the players who may not have had the most
popular name, you know, not the shirls or the Lisa's
(25:37):
but still had such a huge impact on women's basketball.
It's like, please don't forget these people, because they were
amazing players and Jackie is certainly one of them.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
We just dropped the social post on the history of
the Fire that shows a lot of the players and
there's a photo with Lisa literally playing against the fire
and then you can see jack he and some of
the other players, Sylvia Crawley, and you know, there's a
bunch of bunch of great players that were in that
in that mix. So now that history is important, That
(26:09):
history is important. That's why we It's why we came
back to Portland Fire reborn, That's why we felt like
we needed to come back and go deeper with Portland,
even more connected to this city, but honor that that history.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
Yeah, can't you talk a little bit more in detail
about that as it relates to like what were your
inspirations behind the brand relaunch or behind you know, making
sure to reuse the name and the new design of
the Rose, Like what were some of the concepts that
you guys were thinking about are doing if you were
while you were talking about the rebrand.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
Yeah, I think the fortunately the first of all, you
have a tremendous ownership group that is incredibly invested in
investing in Portland. So I and one of the decisions
that got made before I started was to work with
a creative team in Portland, where the lead of that
creative team is from Portland from basketball. Like passionate about
(27:09):
it and they crushed it. They went deep into the city,
like what are those things that make this Portland? You know,
whether it's the Rose Garden, whether it's the bridges. Right,
this is a city I'd mentioned of communities right in
very independent communities that are all connected by these set
of bridges. And so you see in the word Portland fire,
(27:29):
you see the bridges reflected in the rose which Just
for the record, I just got tattooed on my arm.
I don't know up I can state did you see?
Oh I can't get it on the screen. Get a
bad angle, sorry, I promised on stage at the launch,
I've told the fans we had this vilce like Portland
(27:51):
is like this is very Portland tattoos. Well, I mean
other people get them, but we claim to be the
tattoo capital anyway, that I couldn't do it at the launch,
and I told everybody I was going to get it.
So but yeah, the Rose, which within the Rose, you
see the architecture at the top of the motor Center years.
You know, everything is tied to Portland deep storytelling, and honestly,
(28:13):
fans got it. You know, we had this launch and
everybody's like, Claire, nobody's going to want to watch you
present a PowerPoint about the brand. I'm like they will.
I'm totally sure. And I didn't know because there's six
thousand people. I'm thinking there's no way. They're busy like
doing things. Everybody wanted to hear the story of the
Portland fire and the brand, and they did a fantastic job.
(28:37):
So we've got some new colors, we've got new stories,
and we can tie it back to the past. So
it's fun. I think everybody appreciated it and all the
all the thought that went into it. So yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Just I want to go back and just say, for
those who don't know, Jackie Styles wasn't Her career in
the w was short, but Jackie Styles was a bucket,
like like she was a problem.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
And I think it's great. Yeah, I think it's great that.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
You all are bringing her back to have something to
do with the organization. Claire, you just retired from Nike
last year, and so we thought you're going to just
ride off into the sunset and just go.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Do clear things.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
What made you want to get involved with the Portland fire.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Yeah, well I did. I retired in December from Nike,
and Cheryl no, she was at my retirement party. All
the girls were. It was fun and yeah, I mean
I had in my mind that I wanted to do
things related to women's sports and basketball. I been working
on a book, I had, I had some things to do.
It wasn't like I was going to like completely, you know,
(29:58):
just golf and ride my bike, which of course I
also like to do. And then this happened and it
was an easy Yes. I mean, I just think it's
almost like everything I had done and the timing of leaving,
almost everybody now thinks, well, that's why you left, which
(30:18):
it isn't exactly why I left, but maybe some subconsciously
something I don't know, the universes were aligning in some way.
But it just feels so great and it's so much
fun to work on women's basketball and Portland and with
a group of people that have a big vision about
what we can do, you know, and I think what
(30:39):
we can do for athletes, what we can do for
the city, you know, what we can do for the game.
I think, Oh yeah, it was an easy yes. And
as my daughter says, Mom, it's the perfect retirement job
for you. I am a retirement job.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
I go together.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
But it's great. I certainly wasn't work in this many
hours the last few years of my career at Nike.
I was working hard, but this is full time.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you retired from Nike. You didn't retire
from working, thank you.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
There you go. I made it six months, tea, I
made it six months, six months. So no, I'm so,
I'm really it's so great. It's almost like exactly what
I would have wanted to do. And I'm learning a
lot of new things about running a team, which I've
never done. But I also like to be challenged to
do new things and push myself a little bit, So
(31:30):
I think that's important. I mean, you want to keep learning,
you want to keep growing. And now we're just building
a team, trying to hire a bunch of people, build
a whole ticket organization, a marketing organization, so and you know,
make a difference in the city. So it's fun. But
it was nothing but great would I say about I
(31:51):
mean not like everything was easy at Nike every time,
every day in forty three years. But I got to
I got to do a lot of great a lot
of great things. So yeah, and here I am, yeah Fire.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
When you look at the tremendous growth of women's basketball,
and then add to that, how the Golden State Valkyries
have done an incredible job of building that. They built
the fan base before they even had a team, right,
they built the excitement around what Valkyries basketball would look
(32:27):
like before they had anything.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
When you think about how.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
People are gravitating towards women's basketball, how do you see
this momentum maybe influencing what the early years of the
Fire rebranded can could look like.
Speaker 4 (32:45):
Yeah, first, big shout out to the Valkyries and the
mascot and by Ellie, step up your game. Yeah Ellie,
let's go.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Cat like okay it.
Speaker 4 (33:07):
Yeah yeah, Ellie definitely set the pace here, but guy's
gonna give and and just the way they did it,
and I think just you know, bringing the fans along,
you know, building the momentum with the fans, including the fans,
doing it for the fans, like calling it family, you know,
a part of the family, and they I've talked to
(33:28):
Jess Smith from the valkyrie Is a number of times
she's the president down there. She's been like gracious and sharing,
and you know, I think wanting you know, me to
be successful in Portland, to be successful, and I think
you're right. They did a fantastic job with the fans
and they built an experience in that arena with the
whole concept around Valhalla and the Valkyries and now the
(33:52):
Raven that's by They just it's brilliant brand work and
it's just great fan work, and that was their focus.
If you talked to jessh she would tell you that
they made decisions based on is this going to build
deeper connections with the fans, you know, is this going
to bring more fans in? Is this going to energize
(34:13):
more I might, well, we going to inspire more people,
more young girls, bring more fans in. And they worked
hard at that and it's a good it's a good
benchmark for all of us now. But they also showed
how fast you can move as a new franchise, right
And I always say, you know, you want to move fast,
but you want to be patient. Right, there's this like,
we want to move fast, we have a sense of
(34:35):
urgency to do something great here, but we know we
have to have a little bit of patience. But they
did a fantastic job. So yeah, I think we have
to we have to be connected to the community. I
think fans and the community have to be are literally
our number one priority. I think if we do it
right by the fans, then we will fill the Moda
Center eighteen thousand strong every game. If you go to
(34:57):
a Thorns game in Portland, which is the NWS team,
twenty one thousand fans at that Thorns game on Sunday.
And what they've done is they the players have connected
to the fans, not just the team, but the players.
The players stay around after the game, the fans give
them their flowers for whoever scored a goal, and everybody
(35:19):
feels like they are a part. They know the fans
like they talk about them like their their family. They care,
and so that's a it's on the women's soccer side,
but I think that's a good example in Portland of
how well you can connect with fans. So that's our job.
That's definitely the job we have to do here. And
(35:41):
I think we invited the fans to be involved at
the launch. We said, we want you to be involved,
we want you to come in. Tell us we're we're
communicating too much with you, but you know, bring everybody in.
So yeah, it's a great time to be doing this
in Portland. And the good news is we have a
really on fan base, so you just need to build
(36:02):
on it. Yeah, but again shout out. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
The last thing I want to say is when you
talk about, you know, the community and the fans, to me,
that's what the WNBA has always been about, right, the
connection that the players have with the fans. One thing
I want to ask you is, uh, with the sports
Bra in Portland, what what kind of a relationship have
(36:29):
you all built with them?
Speaker 4 (36:34):
Now? Jenny's again done a fantastic job. We actually did
the early morning launch from the sports Bra as you
know with Good Morning America, and now I feel like
I see Jenny every day somewhere.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
So yeah, I mean, I mean, I mean, yeah, I mean,
but I mean I think way to go, right, that's
the sort of innovative spirit that Hey, there's not a
great place to go to watch women's sports.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
I'm gonna do a literally I think it was a
Kickstarter campaign and get people to help my money in
their money and we're going to go for it. And
she was right there. I mean, and now there is
a big ground swell within Portland of watch parties, sports
bars that are like showing women's sports. But Jenny, Jenny,
(37:23):
somebody has to pave the way sometimes and she she
did that, she jumped into that space and now she's franchising.
I'm actually tomorrow there's an LPGA event in Portland that
she's doing a pop up. Like I said, she's every day.
I think she's doing something and I think she just
cares about growing women's sports and she wants to give
(37:45):
everybody access to seeing it. And so yeah, we're obviously
I mean, like I said the morning of the launch,
connected with Jenny, I think, and there's a lot of
Jenny's in this community, and there's a lot of folks
that want to be a part of helping, a lot
of collectives if you like. You know, there's a group
called Backward Collective that have declared themselves the fan pace
(38:08):
they do watch parties. I think I think there's plenty
of people who if they just just have that little
bit of a space, want to come in and do more. So,
but Jenny's done a fantastic job.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
Yeah, Jenny, I told Jenny all the time every time
I see her, like you kind of set the standard
without even knowing it, right, because there are now so
many different places that have sports bars that are specifically
to show women's sports.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
There are a nuance popping up all the time.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
And the great thing about it is there are bars
opening in areas that don't necessarily have a women's sports team,
So like that just further shows the demand and how
things are continuing to grow and evolved. But I know
I am putting it on my calendar, and I've been
saying this to everybody I know that opening day for
(38:59):
the Fire, I need to be in Portland.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
I have never been to Oregon.
Speaker 4 (39:05):
Okay, you're in, got got you on the short list.
The invitation list is you have got to. I cannot
beyl at the game because.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Okay, I will sell be there. Put me with the goat.
Put me with the goat.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
That's what I'm saying, because I can't believe every time
I think about it, I'm like as many times as
I've been to the Pacific Northwest, I've never been to Oregon.
So we gotta, we gotta, we gotta fix that.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
You're you're talking to the right person that can make
it happen.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
I know, I know, like I'm putting it out. Look,
my mom took me a long time ago. Closed mouths
don't get fit, So I'm saying it now out loud.
I'm trying to be there.
Speaker 4 (39:52):
We think we're pretty sure we're gonna be on opening
day too, So I think the league wants to get
both of the new franchise. This is out on the
first day. So love that. We definitely have a well,
definitely have a space for you.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Love that. I love that so much.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Well, Claire, thank you so much for giving us a
moment of your time today.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
It was a lot of your so on.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
I know our fans are going to be excited to
learn more about Portland, and we're gonna keep our eyes
open on you know what the fire does. We know
that eventually, sometimes this sometime this year, there's gonna be
expansion draft and all of that good stuff, and that's
always the fun part for the fans. So thank you
again for sharing with us. Thank you, Claire, forward to
(40:34):
having you back for sure.
Speaker 4 (40:36):
You're welcome anytime. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Thank you so much to clear hammil for coming and
joining us on the show. It was such a great
conversation to chat with her and and just to get
a little bit more insight into what we can expect.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
You know, it's funny because.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
I was watching the Golden State Valkyries last night. They
were playing Phoenix, playing the Mercury and they were at
home and just the atmosphere their new mascot, Violet, just
they got this fourth quarter thing that they do now
where they make you turn all the lights off and
you like on your phone and they like like the
building up with your phone. And so what excites me
(41:25):
is to see how new traditions will be built and
new traditions will be started. I'm curious and interested in
seeing what new tradition they're going to bring to Portland
to kind of make that atmosphere and that arena like
their own that when you leave there, you'll say, hey,
you know they do this thing in Portland, where what
is that thing like that that's exciting to me?
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Well, and they're going to come up with something.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
You know, I was a little falty when Houston didn't
get a team, but I have to tell you, I
am so excited about Portland getting a team back, and
you know, Claire being in the.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Position she's in is.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Claire's just phenomenal, right, our history back at Nike and
all the things she's always done for female athletes, for women,
and now to be in this position with the Portland Fire,
I just I know what she's about to build and
what she's about to do over there.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
So yeah, I'm excited about it too.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
And if the Valkyries haven't shown how expansion teams can
be built and put together and come in and be
ready to compete.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
Right away, I don't know who has.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
Like they've absolutely shown that expansion teams can compete immediately.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
So I'm excited to see what Portland does.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
Yeah, for sure, for sure, they definitely have set a
blueprint that folks can follow if they choose to.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
For sure. But with that, we just thank Claire again
for joining us.
Speaker 3 (42:56):
We look forward to talking to her once the season
gets underway next year.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
And on that note, Ery, oh what you got for
us today? Uh?
Speaker 1 (43:05):
Since I got something that I don't know, it really
applies to me, and probably someone else out there can
relate to this.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
You know how so many times when we're pivoting or
trying to.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
Figure out our plan or what's next, and I've just
I've been here, like over the last probably month or so,
I'm like, okay, God, like you keep saying wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,
like it's not your time, it's not your time. And
so I found this and it says when the Lord
says to wait, wait, this is what it means. Wait,
(43:42):
the W is walk in his timing, the A is
aligned with his will, the I invest in his word
and t trust in his plan. M So don't I
don't know if there's anybody out there who's kind of
in that position right now where you're like, I've been waiting, Well,
(44:06):
you got to keep waiting and remember what that stands for.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
I love that. I had to tell myself that. I
love that.
Speaker 4 (44:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
We can be impatience sometimes and want things when we
want them.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Yeah, I want them to happen when we want them to.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
Happen immediately, immediately, Yes, but we do we do have
to remain steadfast and we have to wait.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
And I like that acronym, So thank you for sharing
that word with us.
Speaker 2 (44:35):
Cheryl.
Speaker 3 (44:36):
I love that we end this show, every every show
with such a positive thought or a positive note or
just a word, because you really never know who you
could be teaching, who you could be reaching, who you
could be reaching for sure. So with that, folks, thank
you guys so much for listening to Levels to This.
We will be back with more next level conversations just
about the ship that we go through as women.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
And remember this isn't just our show, it's our show,
so we want to hear from you. Leave us a
reviewing Apple podcasts. I'll be reading some of the reviews
y'all be cracking me up.
Speaker 3 (45:08):
And on the Little Apple If you go to the
Little Apple thing and you click review and read some
of the reviews, some of the reviews be cracking me up.
But you can also email us at Levels to This
Podcast at gmail dot com and tell us what you
think of the show or what you might want to
talk about next, and please continue to follow us on
Instagram at lttpod So until then, keep your mentals ground
(45:31):
level and we'll be back next week.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
Please listen to Levels to This on America's number one
podcast network iHeart, open your free iHeart app and search
levels to this with Cheryl Swoops and Tarika Foster Brasby,
and start listening.
Levels to This is an iHeart women's sports production in
partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
You can find us on the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
App, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hey, everybody, what's going on? It's your girl? Treka Foster
Brasby what it do? Y'all? Is your girls? Cheryls woops.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
We in this thing, We in this thing at this
eight is levels to this. This is the show where
we share all of the levels to the shit that
women go through. And we have such a fun show
lined up today. We have a great guest who's gonna
break down some things for us about some really great
upcoming news and event and things happening in the WNBA
(00:48):
for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
So we're gonna get into that when we get to
the next level.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
But first, I just want to say thank you guys
to everybody who showed me love this week. Your girl
turned forty one on Sunday. I had such a great
time celebrating my birthday. I didn't do anything super spectacular,
at least not to my standards, like I.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
Had a part.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Let me let me make sure I clarify that my
standards of spectacular. Maybe a little different because I'm a Leo,
But for the most part, I had a house party
which was great, which was supposed to just be like
fifteen people. He ended up being like fifty. And then
I had and then I went to dinner on Sunday,
which was great. I had this cute little dress on
(01:32):
and sure, let me tell you how excited I was
about my birthday dress because I bought my birthday dress
last year in September because I was going to a
white party and I needed something to wear, and I
bought this dress and I.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Tried to dress on. I went to Ross.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Now, if anybody out there don't know about Ross, Ross
is like the that's the store. It's like you can
get all of the good stuff, like it's the store.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
So I got much to look for it, but you
can do too, you do.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
And so in my in my head, I was like,
I really want this dress, but I don't know if
I could fit this dress. Sure enough, I got home,
put the dress on. Girl, everything was hanging out of
everywhere in this dress. So I ain't never wore this dress.
But because I've been going through the weight loss and
really trying to get my shit together. A couple of
days ago. I was like, dang, when am I gonna
(02:21):
work for my birthday? I tried to dress on and
the dress fit perfectly.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Oh yeah, you was wearing a dress.
Speaker 4 (02:29):
I said.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
You can't tell me shit today, honey, this is this
is I saw your picture.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
But let me also say the.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Shoes that you had on with that dress, yeah, I said,
I since think she grown grown tonight because it's her birthday.
I had to act a fool. I had to active
it's beautiful. Well, thank you, absolutely stunning.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
But I will tell you, though, that them shoes almost
had me out here like half the w NBA with
an injury because your girl, oh your girl, was about
about two steps away from twisting an ankle.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
I say, listen, I didn't see you walking in them.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
I just saw your polls and I was like, okay, dress,
come on.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Shoes, Yeah, there's one post. I'm on Green Shot rocking
hills like that. I can't do it anymore.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
And I'm mad at you for talking about almost like
the WNBA with all these injuries.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Because half the league is on.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
The bench at this point, Like my goodness, injuries are ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
I have not seen a season in a very long
time where so many people have either been sidelined because
of an injury or out for the season because of
an injury. And lord knows, the Indiana fever. They can't
take no more, like I can't catch a break.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
They cannot catch a break.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
First it was Caitlin, then now it's Sydney Colson, and
it's Arry McDonald, and now it's it's Sophie Cunnyham. Like
dang h, my goodness, Like who has left on the
team at this point, Like it is so sad to
see from a team that was expected to be such
a top contender and now they're fighting for their life
(04:16):
at the sixth seventh spot because we don't know and
and bless God, bless you Kelsey Mitchell, God bless you.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Oh wait, because I was about to say, yes, all
the injuries to every team in the league, right, but
the fever girl, they have caught a fever mm hmm
or or something.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
But let me just echo what you just said for
those of you who may not know.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Kelsey Mitchell has always all ways been that girl mm hmmm,
m hm, always the other day and here to me,
here's here's what that was so impressive about her last game.
The first half was not a typical Kelsey Mitchell half, right,
(05:09):
but she had zero or two.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Like she has zero points in the first quarter and
two in the second.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, it ended up with who thirty thirty six I
think or thirty eight eight one of those two.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
But the thing about Kelsey Mitchell is she is always
going to play compete.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
It don't matter how many points she has. And I've heard.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
A lot of players in the W right now because
you know, they always do their whole starr bitch cut
type thing. And also who's one of the toughest to
guard And a lot of the guards that I've heard
say Kelsey Mitchell is the toughest guard for them. And
you understand why she's quick. She stops at the drop
of a dime and pull Listen, Kelsey Mitchell, Yeah you
(05:56):
said it, God bless you.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Yes, yep, yeh back. That got the beat.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Because she has been carrying this team for I mean
they have even Stephanie White said it. They just played Connecticut.
They were up, Connecticut was up twenty one points. Now,
I ain't even gonna go on how you don't lose
a twenty one point league team, come on, fam but
and at home and at home and at home, and
they're down three guards at this point, Like, yeah, neither
(06:24):
here nor there. Point though, is for Kelsey to put
on that kind of a performance in that moment when
her team needed her most, because for the first half,
it was all Natasha Howard and she couldn't give al
Jash couldn't do it by us. So but Kelsey, girl,
God bless you. You've been balling all year. Every flower
(06:45):
that we have you deserve, Like it's just.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Just that simple, just that simple.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
So but anyway, Yes, it has been a very difficult
season for a lot of teams in the WNBA because
of injuries, and hopefully people are able to get healthy
in the off season and for those who are going
to be able to come back. Were looking at the
FISA Collier who should be able to come back soon,
Brianna Stewart, Hopefully she'll be able to come back soon.
(07:12):
Like it's just it's it's so many angel rees. Hopefully
she'll be.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Able to play, to start playing more.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
It's just there are so many faces that we want
to see before this season is over. So we're wishing
the best for all of them that everybody gets healthy
and that we can start the playoffs, but everybody as
best as they possibly can be. But next season, as
we look ahead to next season, hopefully not only do
(07:40):
we have less injuries, but we are certainly going to
have more spots for people who have to wait for
these hardship contracts and have to wait for these seven
day contracts to wait for folks to give them a spot.
Hopefully next year, with the addition of two new teams,
that means that there are more for some of these
(08:01):
players to actually be able to rise grow. I look
at a team a person like a Veronica Burton, who
for me is leading the conversation and.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Mip M I P yes, ma'am.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Y'all look at a Veronica Burton, and I'm like, she
is telling y'all right now KT before she got hurtings
or ACL.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
They're showing you the blueprint.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
Y'all can make a name for yourselves in this league
if you had the chance, and they might get the chance.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Heryl and all of that, assuming there is a next
season with the CBA.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
That's a great point.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
So assuming that we have a next season and assuming
that the WNBA and the players come to an agreement.
Speaker 2 (08:49):
Yeah, because I let me get this off my test
real quick so we can move on.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Because you know all the hoopla around the Connecticut Sun
being sold not sold, all the things, and you know
now the w saying we want to buy the team
for two hundred and fifty million. Well, if you got
two hundred and fifty million to buy the Sun, why
don't you have the money to pay the players.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Let's talk about it. Let's talk about it, like, make
that make sense. Where does money come from?
Speaker 3 (09:17):
Where y'are pooling this money from?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Interesting? That's interesting. I just found that very interesting.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
Right, we have two hundred and fifty mil to buy
the Sun, but we ain't got we ain't got no
more money to pay the players.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
We ain't got no money to play the players.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
We ain't got no money to actually lock in these
charter flight contracts. We ain't got no money for any
you know what. Let that marinate, do what that do
with that info as you will?
Speaker 2 (09:44):
People do with that info as you will.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Yeah, but we are looking at some teams that already
are existing in terms of expansion. In one of those
is the Portland Fire, and we're very excited to see
the Portland Fire in twenty twenty six, assuming that there
is a twenty twenty six season, and today we have
the pleasure to have a next level conversation with interim
(10:12):
executive President Claire hammil And I know that you and
Claire go back from your days at Nike and her
days at Nike. Look, she I see how I add
on them ways, see she had it on them.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
Ways I did add the way.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
You didn't have to add the way. It was just
the way you said. I know you and Claire go back.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
I just threw the way in there for you, says
oh Man.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
But I'm excited to talk to Claire, just you know,
wanting to know more about what the direction is of
this fire team, having a team back in the road
city where so many fans loved the Portland Fire back
when it was in its initial existence. So it's going
to be an exciting conversation and I'm excited to chat
(11:01):
with her. And so with that, let's just go ahead
and take this to the next level. So joining us
today on today's show very excited about I will also,
(11:22):
even before I get off into the introduction, say I'm
a little jealous that our last few guests have been
people who Cheryl kind of knows and has a relationship
with before me so serious.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
It was a little bit like what she gotta know everybody?
You know what I'm saying, like popular, go to the
guests because I love her. I love this guest.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
God, she is so popular, you know everybody. But okay,
like good lord. However, joining us today is a trailblazer
with women's sports.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Forty years at Nike, she certainly.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Helped shape the way the world sees athletes in sports,
and now she's serving as interim president of the Portland Fires.
So we are joined by Claire Hammel.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Hi, Claire tee Hi, thanks for having me. Hey Cheryl,
Hi Claire Ty.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Let me not necessarily rephrase, but let me add something
to that.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Not yet just athletes, but female.
Speaker 1 (12:27):
Athletes in particular, making sure that we are seeing, we
are heard, making a space for us and Claire and I.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
Go way back.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Did you hear how I said, so excited for this
next chapter for her and Claire, just thank you for
taking the time out of your day to join us
and we're so super excited to have a conversation with
you today.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
Yeah. Thanks, I appreciate it. I'm excited to excited to
do it, always happy to talk about women's sports and
meet new people. So tigue great.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Yeah, I mean we obviously have to talk about the
vision and the future of women's basketball in the Road
city because we were all super excited when the announcement
was made that Portland would be receiving a WNBA team again.
For the new fans out there that don't know this
is Portland isn't new to this. They're true to this, right,
(13:25):
They've been doing this for a while and there's just
always been such a rich culture of sports. Just kind
of want to start off of, you know, asking about
you know, why why Portland? What do you think makes
this city just so uniquely suited for a WNBA franchise?
Speaker 4 (13:46):
Yeah, I think I usually when I talk about Portland
right now and the Fire, I talk about the fans first.
I mean, I think Cheryl can tell you this all
the way back in two thousand and one when the
Fire was playing here before there were eight nine thousand
fans showing up to watch those games and not just
(14:07):
come in with a ticket, I mean coming with their
whole hearts, like like it was personal, like this team
mattered and they they were disappointed when the team went away,
and now fast forward to have this team coming back
to Portland, a city that just loves women's sports. You know,
it's a city with I always say, people that have
(14:30):
sort of fierce individuality, like everybody's got their own way
of showing up, but then they come together and women's
sports is just one of those things that brings folks.
So I think the fans I will start there. I
think even players will tell you who used to come
to Portland that this was not this was an arena
where you came in and it was like people are serious,
(14:51):
like you know, this is our house, like like let's go.
And so everybody's excited. There's so much enthusiasm for the
team here. And then this is also a city where
I think we can do some innovative things that maybe
you can't do everywhere. And I think we've got some
opportunities in Portland, and which is why we have both
a big vision for Portland and a big vision for
(15:13):
the Fire. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
I will absolutely agree with Claire Tea.
Speaker 1 (15:19):
I remember when when the w started and Portland had
a team. First of all, everybody was excited to go
play Portland because we all wanted to go to the
Nike store, right, So it was like.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
Yes, we want to.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
So we get to go shopping. But to Clara's point,
like Portland was one of those like the arena, the fans,
it was one of those places where you hate it
to go play, but you loved it right because they
were they were big fans. They just loved great basketball.
But I don't care who you were going into play.
(15:56):
It was their team and they were going to make
sure you knew you were on the road.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Right.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
So I'm I'm super excited that Portland's getting a team back.
But Claire, I want to go before I get into
the fire, I want to talk a little bit about
the WIN program. You had this vision right being at
Nike forever to Yeah, I say clear rand Nike, but.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Being at Nike right, you have this, You had this.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Vision of giving former w NBA players an opportunity to
step into corporate America. Can you talk a little bit
about what that vision was, why you thought it was important,
and you know, just just why you felt like it
was the right move for former w NBA players.
Speaker 4 (16:49):
Yeah, I'd love to talk about WIN. I could talk
probably talk about it all day if you ask me
to Yeah, I think I go all the way back
to the fact that I started playing basketball very very
young age and had the opportunity to literally build my
entire career around women's sports. And you know, yes, it's
not the only thing I worked on at Nike, But
(17:11):
what I learned was that athletes are different that you know,
they bring something to the table. There's a there's a power,
there's a leadership profile, they know how to win, they
are resilient, and so it was almost pretty simple in
some ways, like, wow, you know, we've got a lot
of tables at Nike, a lot of places where the
(17:34):
voice of the athlete and everything there is about being
an athlete could make a difference. There's a WMBA where
we've got players retiring and it's very hard to transition
from being a professional athlete into that next step. I
mean you got to grind at it. I mean I
learned a lot about that talking to players talking and
(17:54):
I'm still I still hear that all the time, and
even though things have changed a little bit, that transition
is a big deal. And so it was a pretty
much a perfect marriage, Like we needed more athletes and
more women leaders at the table, and there are a
lot of athletes that were looking to transition, So I
(18:15):
just knew it was going to work right from the start.
I spent a lot of time around innovation, and sometimes
you're like, I think we're solving a big problem, but
let's try it. In this case, I'm like, we are
solving a big problem, which is how do we get
more women leaders at Nike? How do we help athletes transition?
And it's been amazing the impact that the athletes that
(18:36):
have come to Nike, the WNBA players have had on
Nike's business. Like I use the example of the Asia
Wilson work that just launched this year. I mean, one
of my all time favorite Nike ads, Like that is impressive.
That doesn't happen, That does not happen, That shoot does
not happen, That brand campaign does not happen without the
(18:59):
WIN that worked on that campaign. And WIN stands for
Women in Nike, and there are probably ten or twelve
W players and WIN members who were a part of
helping make Asia's campaign successful and pushing that forward. So
just one example right down to like the kids version
of the Asia issue that one of the WIN members
(19:21):
worked on. That's so good. So the impact has been
great and for me it was my God, it's just
like game changer for me to get to work on that,
to be around all these players. And the only thing
I'd say is one of the things that's been great
about being at Nike for a long time, it has
given me a platform where I can make a difference.
(19:44):
And so if this is one example of being able
to do something and make a difference, then I'm happy
about that.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
I love that, honestly. And can I throw in a suggestion? Please?
Can we get a blue and gold version of the
A ones? Thanks?
Speaker 4 (19:58):
Okay, we'll get Yeah. I was like, where's my phone,
where's my phone? Let me just text them, text somebody. Yes,
but how about her birthday colors? How do you like
the birthday cake colors?
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I was like, it looks it seems like Asia has
a different color every game.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
You started the game, Cheryl, So it's just like now
we're now, we're in the big time. It's like, yeah,
she has at least one color every game. I think,
what is it, twenty two or three games at home?
Speaker 2 (20:31):
There we go.
Speaker 4 (20:34):
Yeah, well, Cheryl knows, Cheryl. Cheryl had an amazing, amazing
partnership with Nike forever, like we started working back in
nineteen ninety five, like change the game for women's basketball,
changed the game within Nike, and then came to work
at Nike. I mean, it's amazing, Like it's a kind
of full circle thing and it's having and had a
(20:55):
big difference when she came in, And so I think
that's what that program is all about.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
I know that every single win member, we will forever
being debted to you, and we all are so grateful
and thankful that you have that vision and you made
space for all of us.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
So I just want to say thank you.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Yeah, you're welcome.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
I literally and genuinely love that because I don't think
that this is something that you know, the men have
to think about when they're done playing, like what is
their next step?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
You know what I mean, And not like that they.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Don't have like vision or drive or goals to do
something outside of basketball. But I think the necessity of
needing to have a life outside of when you retire.
It's just very different for women and women athletes than
it is for men for obvious reasons sometimes. So I
love that there is a space and someone has the
(21:55):
forethought to say, we need to make sure that these
women are taking care of and put in position to
have opportunities to be successful outside of the success they
found on the basketball court.
Speaker 2 (22:06):
And when I think.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
Of that and tying that into what's happening at in Portland,
it makes me think about I mean, I think any
W fan who is a true W fan and can
remember Portland, the first name that comes to mind is
Jackie Styles, right number ten, And so I think it's all.
(22:29):
I feel like every franchise that has either been an
expansion franchise or come back have talked about the importance
of how alumni members and past members play a role
in what they're trying to do futuristically. So has there
been a conversation with Jackie or is there any forethought
or vision of bringing back former players to have a
(22:53):
role in some way or encouraging in some way of
what Portland's doing moving forward?
Speaker 4 (22:59):
Absolutely, I think within two weeks of well was it
actually quicker than that? Within the second week of being
on the job, I managed to find her, get her
cell phone number off of one of the players and
called her and and it's almost like we hit her
at exactly the right time. She was like, you know,
I have I have the She's been working hard to
(23:20):
just you know, do do her thing since she retired,
and she had a short, short but amazing career, fan favorite,
Everybody's MVP. And I asked her if she wanted to
be involved, and she said, absolutely, I want to be involved.
So she did a little shout out off of her
phone for our launch. But I think there's a bigger
(23:43):
role that she Uh. I've talked to a couple other
players as well from the Fire. Remember there was also
a team before the Fire called the Power and the
Aby was in the right Yeah, and I've also talked
to i think every former GM president or coach of
those teams as well. So yeah, I think there's a
(24:04):
there's a power to that legacy. And I also I
also think Jackie, this just could be the right time.
She said, it's the right time for me to get
more involved. I'd love to be a part of it.
I think fans are going to love having her about.
So I mean, the easy thing is we bring everybody
back to some games, or we you know, we bring
all the alumni back. A lot of teams do a
(24:25):
great job of that in the w right now. You know,
I was just watching the Liberty had everybody back in town,
you know this week for example, A says everybody does that,
but I think tapping into Jackie and bringing her back.
We definitely intend to do that. Number ten, I know.
(24:45):
And I took my daughter to the games, to the
Fire Games, and so you know, first thing she did
when I got this job, she started to search everywhere
to find a Jackie Styles number ten shirt, which wasn't
that easy to find. And she found one, but it
wasn't the It wasn't easy. So there's definitely there's definitely
a power in that. There's story. There's good stories in that,
(25:06):
you know, I think, but there's you know, there's other
players that we want to tell their stories as well.
But yeah, it's definitely number ten.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
Yeah Jackie.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Jackie was that girl that was that rookie of the
year and I remember two thousand and one, and it's
it's just always so interesting to me, like I have
pitched and talked about so often, having some type of
form or platform where we can kind of give flowers
to the players who may not have had the most
popular name, you know, not the shirls or the Lisa's
(25:37):
but still had such a huge impact on women's basketball.
It's like, please don't forget these people, because they were
amazing players and Jackie is certainly one of them.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
We just dropped the social post on the history of
the Fire that shows a lot of the players and
there's a photo with Lisa literally playing against the fire
and then you can see jack he and some of
the other players, Sylvia Crawley, and you know, there's a
bunch of bunch of great players that were in that
in that mix. So now that history is important, That
(26:09):
history is important. That's why we It's why we came
back to Portland Fire reborn, That's why we felt like
we needed to come back and go deeper with Portland,
even more connected to this city, but honor that that history.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
Yeah, can't you talk a little bit more in detail
about that as it relates to like what were your
inspirations behind the brand relaunch or behind you know, making
sure to reuse the name and the new design of
the Rose, Like what were some of the concepts that
you guys were thinking about are doing if you were
while you were talking about the rebrand.
Speaker 4 (26:45):
Yeah, I think the fortunately the first of all, you
have a tremendous ownership group that is incredibly invested in
investing in Portland. So I and one of the decisions
that got made before I started was to work with
a creative team in Portland, where the lead of that
creative team is from Portland from basketball. Like passionate about
(27:09):
it and they crushed it. They went deep into the city,
like what are those things that make this Portland? You know,
whether it's the Rose Garden, whether it's the bridges. Right,
this is a city I'd mentioned of communities right in
very independent communities that are all connected by these set
of bridges. And so you see in the word Portland fire,
(27:29):
you see the bridges reflected in the rose which Just
for the record, I just got tattooed on my arm.
I don't know up I can state did you see?
Oh I can't get it on the screen. Get a
bad angle, sorry, I promised on stage at the launch,
I've told the fans we had this vilce like Portland
(27:51):
is like this is very Portland tattoos. Well, I mean
other people get them, but we claim to be the
tattoo capital anyway, that I couldn't do it at the launch,
and I told everybody I was going to get it.
So but yeah, the Rose, which within the Rose, you
see the architecture at the top of the motor Center years.
You know, everything is tied to Portland deep storytelling, and honestly,
(28:13):
fans got it. You know, we had this launch and
everybody's like, Claire, nobody's going to want to watch you
present a PowerPoint about the brand. I'm like they will.
I'm totally sure. And I didn't know because there's six
thousand people. I'm thinking there's no way. They're busy like
doing things. Everybody wanted to hear the story of the
Portland fire and the brand, and they did a fantastic job.
(28:37):
So we've got some new colors, we've got new stories,
and we can tie it back to the past. So
it's fun. I think everybody appreciated it and all the
all the thought that went into it. So yeah, I.
Speaker 1 (28:52):
Just I want to go back and just say, for
those who don't know, Jackie Styles wasn't Her career in
the w was short, but Jackie Styles was a bucket,
like like she was a problem.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
And I think it's great. Yeah, I think it's great that.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
You all are bringing her back to have something to
do with the organization. Claire, you just retired from Nike
last year, and so we thought you're going to just
ride off into the sunset and just go.
Speaker 2 (29:27):
Do clear things.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
What made you want to get involved with the Portland fire.
Speaker 4 (29:38):
Yeah, well I did. I retired in December from Nike,
and Cheryl no, she was at my retirement party. All
the girls were. It was fun and yeah, I mean
I had in my mind that I wanted to do
things related to women's sports and basketball. I been working
on a book, I had, I had some things to do.
It wasn't like I was going to like completely, you know,
(29:58):
just golf and ride my bike, which of course I
also like to do. And then this happened and it
was an easy Yes. I mean, I just think it's
almost like everything I had done and the timing of leaving,
almost everybody now thinks, well, that's why you left, which
(30:18):
it isn't exactly why I left, but maybe some subconsciously
something I don't know, the universes were aligning in some way.
But it just feels so great and it's so much
fun to work on women's basketball and Portland and with
a group of people that have a big vision about
what we can do, you know, and I think what
(30:39):
we can do for athletes, what we can do for
the city, you know, what we can do for the game.
I think, Oh yeah, it was an easy yes. And
as my daughter says, Mom, it's the perfect retirement job
for you. I am a retirement job.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
I go together.
Speaker 4 (30:56):
But it's great. I certainly wasn't work in this many
hours the last few years of my career at Nike.
I was working hard, but this is full time.
Speaker 2 (31:05):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you retired from Nike. You didn't retire
from working, thank you.
Speaker 4 (31:10):
There you go. I made it six months, tea, I
made it six months, six months. So no, I'm so,
I'm really it's so great. It's almost like exactly what
I would have wanted to do. And I'm learning a
lot of new things about running a team, which I've
never done. But I also like to be challenged to
do new things and push myself a little bit, So
(31:30):
I think that's important. I mean, you want to keep learning,
you want to keep growing. And now we're just building
a team, trying to hire a bunch of people, build
a whole ticket organization, a marketing organization, so and you know,
make a difference in the city. So it's fun. But
it was nothing but great would I say about I
(31:51):
mean not like everything was easy at Nike every time,
every day in forty three years. But I got to
I got to do a lot of great a lot
of great things. So yeah, and here I am, yeah Fire.
Speaker 3 (32:04):
When you look at the tremendous growth of women's basketball,
and then add to that, how the Golden State Valkyries
have done an incredible job of building that. They built
the fan base before they even had a team, right,
they built the excitement around what Valkyries basketball would look
(32:27):
like before they had anything.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
When you think about how.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
People are gravitating towards women's basketball, how do you see
this momentum maybe influencing what the early years of the
Fire rebranded can could look like.
Speaker 4 (32:45):
Yeah, first, big shout out to the Valkyries and the
mascot and by Ellie, step up your game. Yeah Ellie,
let's go.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Cat like okay it.
Speaker 4 (33:07):
Yeah yeah, Ellie definitely set the pace here, but guy's
gonna give and and just the way they did it,
and I think just you know, bringing the fans along,
you know, building the momentum with the fans, including the fans,
doing it for the fans, like calling it family, you know,
a part of the family, and they I've talked to
(33:28):
Jess Smith from the valkyrie Is a number of times
she's the president down there. She's been like gracious and sharing,
and you know, I think wanting you know, me to
be successful in Portland, to be successful, and I think
you're right. They did a fantastic job with the fans
and they built an experience in that arena with the
whole concept around Valhalla and the Valkyries and now the
(33:52):
Raven that's by They just it's brilliant brand work and
it's just great fan work, and that was their focus.
If you talked to jessh she would tell you that
they made decisions based on is this going to build
deeper connections with the fans, you know, is this going
to bring more fans in? Is this going to energize
(34:13):
more I might, well, we going to inspire more people,
more young girls, bring more fans in. And they worked
hard at that and it's a good it's a good
benchmark for all of us now. But they also showed
how fast you can move as a new franchise, right
And I always say, you know, you want to move fast,
but you want to be patient. Right, there's this like,
we want to move fast, we have a sense of
(34:35):
urgency to do something great here, but we know we
have to have a little bit of patience. But they
did a fantastic job. So yeah, I think we have
to we have to be connected to the community. I
think fans and the community have to be are literally
our number one priority. I think if we do it
right by the fans, then we will fill the Moda
Center eighteen thousand strong every game. If you go to
(34:57):
a Thorns game in Portland, which is the NWS team,
twenty one thousand fans at that Thorns game on Sunday.
And what they've done is they the players have connected
to the fans, not just the team, but the players.
The players stay around after the game, the fans give
them their flowers for whoever scored a goal, and everybody
(35:19):
feels like they are a part. They know the fans
like they talk about them like their their family. They care,
and so that's a it's on the women's soccer side,
but I think that's a good example in Portland of
how well you can connect with fans. So that's our job.
That's definitely the job we have to do here. And
(35:41):
I think we invited the fans to be involved at
the launch. We said, we want you to be involved,
we want you to come in. Tell us we're we're
communicating too much with you, but you know, bring everybody in.
So yeah, it's a great time to be doing this
in Portland. And the good news is we have a
really on fan base, so you just need to build
(36:02):
on it. Yeah, but again shout out. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
The last thing I want to say is when you
talk about, you know, the community and the fans, to me,
that's what the WNBA has always been about, right, the
connection that the players have with the fans. One thing
I want to ask you is, uh, with the sports
Bra in Portland, what what kind of a relationship have
(36:29):
you all built with them?
Speaker 4 (36:34):
Now? Jenny's again done a fantastic job. We actually did
the early morning launch from the sports Bra as you
know with Good Morning America, and now I feel like
I see Jenny every day somewhere.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
So yeah, I mean, I mean, I mean, yeah, I mean,
but I mean I think way to go, right, that's
the sort of innovative spirit that Hey, there's not a
great place to go to watch women's sports.
Speaker 4 (37:03):
I'm gonna do a literally I think it was a
Kickstarter campaign and get people to help my money in
their money and we're going to go for it. And
she was right there. I mean, and now there is
a big ground swell within Portland of watch parties, sports
bars that are like showing women's sports. But Jenny, Jenny,
(37:23):
somebody has to pave the way sometimes and she she
did that, she jumped into that space and now she's franchising.
I'm actually tomorrow there's an LPGA event in Portland that
she's doing a pop up. Like I said, she's every day.
I think she's doing something and I think she just
cares about growing women's sports and she wants to give
(37:45):
everybody access to seeing it. And so yeah, we're obviously
I mean, like I said the morning of the launch,
connected with Jenny, I think, and there's a lot of
Jenny's in this community, and there's a lot of folks
that want to be a part of helping, a lot
of collectives if you like. You know, there's a group
called Backward Collective that have declared themselves the fan pace
(38:08):
they do watch parties. I think I think there's plenty
of people who if they just just have that little
bit of a space, want to come in and do more. So,
but Jenny's done a fantastic job.
Speaker 3 (38:20):
Yeah, Jenny, I told Jenny all the time every time
I see her, like you kind of set the standard
without even knowing it, right, because there are now so
many different places that have sports bars that are specifically
to show women's sports.
Speaker 2 (38:37):
There are a nuance popping up all the time.
Speaker 3 (38:39):
And the great thing about it is there are bars
opening in areas that don't necessarily have a women's sports team,
So like that just further shows the demand and how
things are continuing to grow and evolved. But I know
I am putting it on my calendar, and I've been
saying this to everybody I know that opening day for
(38:59):
the Fire, I need to be in Portland.
Speaker 2 (39:02):
I have never been to Oregon.
Speaker 4 (39:05):
Okay, you're in, got got you on the short list.
The invitation list is you have got to. I cannot
beyl at the game because.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
Okay, I will sell be there. Put me with the goat.
Put me with the goat.
Speaker 3 (39:22):
That's what I'm saying, because I can't believe every time
I think about it, I'm like as many times as
I've been to the Pacific Northwest, I've never been to Oregon.
So we gotta, we gotta, we gotta fix that.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
You're you're talking to the right person that can make
it happen.
Speaker 3 (39:40):
I know, I know, like I'm putting it out. Look,
my mom took me a long time ago. Closed mouths
don't get fit, So I'm saying it now out loud.
I'm trying to be there.
Speaker 4 (39:52):
We think we're pretty sure we're gonna be on opening
day too, So I think the league wants to get
both of the new franchise. This is out on the
first day. So love that. We definitely have a well,
definitely have a space for you.
Speaker 2 (40:06):
Love that. I love that so much.
Speaker 3 (40:08):
Well, Claire, thank you so much for giving us a
moment of your time today.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
It was a lot of your so on.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
I know our fans are going to be excited to
learn more about Portland, and we're gonna keep our eyes
open on you know what the fire does. We know
that eventually, sometimes this sometime this year, there's gonna be
expansion draft and all of that good stuff, and that's
always the fun part for the fans. So thank you
again for sharing with us. Thank you, Claire, forward to
(40:34):
having you back for sure.
Speaker 4 (40:36):
You're welcome anytime. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (40:52):
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
Thank you so much to clear hammil for coming and
joining us on the show. It was such a great
conversation to chat with her and and just to get
a little bit more insight into what we can expect.
Speaker 2 (41:03):
You know, it's funny because.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
I was watching the Golden State Valkyries last night. They
were playing Phoenix, playing the Mercury and they were at
home and just the atmosphere their new mascot, Violet, just
they got this fourth quarter thing that they do now
where they make you turn all the lights off and
you like on your phone and they like like the
building up with your phone. And so what excites me
(41:25):
is to see how new traditions will be built and
new traditions will be started. I'm curious and interested in
seeing what new tradition they're going to bring to Portland
to kind of make that atmosphere and that arena like
their own that when you leave there, you'll say, hey,
you know they do this thing in Portland, where what
is that thing like that that's exciting to me?
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Well, and they're going to come up with something.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
You know, I was a little falty when Houston didn't
get a team, but I have to tell you, I
am so excited about Portland getting a team back, and
you know, Claire being in the.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Position she's in is.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Claire's just phenomenal, right, our history back at Nike and
all the things she's always done for female athletes, for women,
and now to be in this position with the Portland Fire,
I just I know what she's about to build and
what she's about to do over there.
Speaker 2 (42:21):
So yeah, I'm excited about it too.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
And if the Valkyries haven't shown how expansion teams can
be built and put together and come in and be
ready to compete.
Speaker 2 (42:34):
Right away, I don't know who has.
Speaker 1 (42:38):
Like they've absolutely shown that expansion teams can compete immediately.
Speaker 2 (42:44):
So I'm excited to see what Portland does.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
Yeah, for sure, for sure, they definitely have set a
blueprint that folks can follow if they choose to.
Speaker 2 (42:51):
For sure. But with that, we just thank Claire again
for joining us.
Speaker 3 (42:56):
We look forward to talking to her once the season
gets underway next year.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
And on that note, Ery, oh what you got for
us today? Uh?
Speaker 1 (43:05):
Since I got something that I don't know, it really
applies to me, and probably someone else out there can
relate to this.
Speaker 2 (43:13):
You know how so many times when we're pivoting or
trying to.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
Figure out our plan or what's next, and I've just
I've been here, like over the last probably month or so,
I'm like, okay, God, like you keep saying wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,
like it's not your time, it's not your time. And
so I found this and it says when the Lord
says to wait, wait, this is what it means. Wait,
(43:42):
the W is walk in his timing, the A is
aligned with his will, the I invest in his word
and t trust in his plan. M So don't I
don't know if there's anybody out there who's kind of
in that position right now where you're like, I've been waiting, Well,
(44:06):
you got to keep waiting and remember what that stands for.
Speaker 2 (44:11):
I love that. I had to tell myself that. I
love that.
Speaker 4 (44:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
We can be impatience sometimes and want things when we
want them.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Yeah, I want them to happen when we want them to.
Speaker 1 (44:21):
Happen immediately, immediately, Yes, but we do we do have
to remain steadfast and we have to wait.
Speaker 3 (44:31):
And I like that acronym, So thank you for sharing
that word with us.
Speaker 2 (44:35):
Cheryl.
Speaker 3 (44:36):
I love that we end this show, every every show
with such a positive thought or a positive note or
just a word, because you really never know who you
could be teaching, who you could be reaching, who you
could be reaching for sure. So with that, folks, thank
you guys so much for listening to Levels to This.
We will be back with more next level conversations just
about the ship that we go through as women.
Speaker 2 (44:59):
And remember this isn't just our show, it's our show,
so we want to hear from you. Leave us a
reviewing Apple podcasts. I'll be reading some of the reviews
y'all be cracking me up.
Speaker 3 (45:08):
And on the Little Apple If you go to the
Little Apple thing and you click review and read some
of the reviews, some of the reviews be cracking me up.
But you can also email us at Levels to This
Podcast at gmail dot com and tell us what you
think of the show or what you might want to
talk about next, and please continue to follow us on
Instagram at lttpod So until then, keep your mentals ground
(45:31):
level and we'll be back next week.
Speaker 1 (45:34):
Please listen to Levels to This on America's number one
podcast network iHeart, open your free iHeart app and search
levels to this with Cheryl Swoops and Tarika Foster Brasby,
and start listening.
Hosts And Creators
Terrika Foster-Brasby
Sheryl Swoopes
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